REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Integrating Fisheries and Habitat Management in Asia: the
Regional Fisheries Refugia Initiative
Christopher Paterson, UNEP/GEF South China Sea Project

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Background
· Emerging need to manage fisheries and aquaculture in the context of
ecosystems and broader initiatives for marine management
· Several global initiatives have been promoted as mechanisms for integrating
fisheries and aquaculture into broader marine management
· A wide gulf continues to exist between fisheries and environment sectors in
Asia
· Environment initiatives have been promoted in terms of achieving the state of
fisheries, but have often not involved mechanisms to ensure the effective
integration of fisheries considerations
· Fisheries ministries and departments are focused on improving the fishery
situation in face of high community dependence and participation in small-
scale fisheries
· Need for the development of regional experience in building partnerships and
enhancing communication between fisheries and environment sectors

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Emerging Policy Challenge
· Ensuring the effective inclusion of fisheries issues into broader initiatives for
marine management is an emerging policy challenge
Role of multi-lateral, inter-governmental projects
· The UNEP/GEF South China Sea Projects is working to develop regional
capacity to meet this challenge by:
(a) improving the understanding amongst fishing communities,
managers, and policy makers of ecosystem and fishery linkages, and
(b) building the capacity of both fisheries and environment ministries
and departments to ensure that issues facing the fisheries sector are
integrated into overall marine management frameworks.

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
CAMBODIA, CHINA, INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, PHILIPPINES, THAILAND,
VIET NAM
FOCAL MINISTRIES ARE MINISTRIES OF ENVIRONMENT
12 GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, 14 UNIVERSITIES AND RESEARCH
INSTITUTES AND ONE NGO ENGAGED AS SPECIALISED EXECUTING
AGENCIES
MORE THAN 100 ORGANISATIONS DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION, MORE THAN 400 INDIRECTLY INVOLVED

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
SOUTH CHINA SEA PROJECT COMPONENTS
· HABITAT DEGRADATION AND LOSS (Mangrove, Coral Reefs,
Seagrass, Coastal Wetlands)
· OVER-EXPLOITATION OF FISHERIES IN THE GULF OF THAILAND
· LAND-BASED POLLUTION
· REGIONAL CO-ORDINATION
· OVERALL GOAL:
"to create an environment at the regional level, in which
collaboration and partnership in addressing environmental
problems of the South China Sea, between all stakeholders, and at
all levels is fostered and encouraged; and to enhance the capacity
of the participating governments to integrate environmental
considerations into national development planning"

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Developing a Mechanism for Integrating Fisheries and
Habitat Management: the Fisheries Refugia Approach
The UNEP/GEF Regional Working Group on Fisheries considered that the
concepts used to develop any mechanism should:
· Focus on fish life-cycle and critical habitat linkages,
· Be easy for fishing communities, local government officials, and provincial
level fisheries managers to relate to, and
· Provide a suitable platform for the fisheries sector in best representing
fisheries issues in fora relating to multiple-use marine management.
Regional Working Group on Fisheries' Definition of Fisheries Refugia:
"A spatially and geographically defined, marine or coastal area in which
specific management measures are applied to sustain important species
[fisheries resources] during critical stages of their lifecycle, for their
sustainable use."

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Conduct of Country Consultations on the Identification
and Establishment of Fisheries Refugia Sites

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Review of Information Collated by the South China Sea
Project on Fish Life-Cycle and Critical Habitat Linkages
· National Reports on Fisheries
· National Reports on Coral Reefs,
Seagrass, Wetlands, Mangroves
· 142 Habitat Site Characterisations
· Habitat Demonstration Site
Documents
· The South China Sea Meta-
Database

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Review of Information Collected by SEAFDEC on Larval
Fish Distribution and Abundance

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Outputs and Outcomes to Date
· Regional Guidelines on the Use of Fisheries Refugia in Capture Fisheries
Management contained in the SEAFDEC Regional Guidelines for
Responsible Fisheries in Southeast Asia,
· Characterisation of 46 sites known as critical spawning and nursery areas
for important fish species,
· Compilation of information regarding the distribution and abundance of the
larvae of 28 important species in the Gulf of Thailand and the South China
Sea,
· Selection of 18 sites for inclusion in an initial system of fisheries refugia,
· Agreements to develop one pilot fisheries refugia site in each participating
country by June 2007,
· Syllabus for the training course on larval fish identification and early life-
history.

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Candidate Fisheries Refugia Sites - Cambodia

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Candidate Fisheries Refugia Sites - Indonesia

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Candidate Fisheries
Refugia Sites - Philippines

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Candidate Fisheries
Refugia Sites - Thailand

REVERSING ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION TRENDS
IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA AND GULF OF THAILAND
WWW.UNEPSCS.ORG
Candidate Fisheries
Refugia Sites
Vietnam