Target 6 – Sustainable management of aquatic living resources

By 2020 all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem-based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits.

Key message

The continuation of unsustainable fishing practices threatens not only fish stocks, threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems but also the survival of the many IPLCs around the world who rely on fish and other aquatic resources for their livelihoods. Many fisher people have customary sustainable fishery systems to ensure that resources can continue to be used by future generations, and these traditional fishing practices have the potential to contribute to national and international marine biodiversity policies.

Summary of progress towards the target

Why the target is important to IPLCs

GBO-4 reported that, while there has been some progress on the management and sustainable harvesting of aquatic species, the application of ecosystem-based approaches, and the creation of recovery plans for depleted species, there has been little to no progress on reducing the adverse effect of fisheries or on reducing overfishing (see dashboard). 1 IPLCs are among the people who are most reliant on marine ecosystems, including aquatic animals and plants, for food and cultural purposes, and are consequently disproportionately affected by unsustainable fishing practices. Women are particularly negatively impacted by the effects of overfishing. According to the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF) women constitute nearly 90 per cent of the post-harvest labour sector’23 and are generally those responsible for the food security of their families. Due to women’s unacknowledged role in the fishing sector, they tend to be overlooked when political assistance is offered to community fisher people impacted by the effects of overfishing.4 Insecurity of tenure rights further increases the vulnerability of small-scale fisher workers. As pointed out by the ICSF, small-scale fisher workers have consistently demanded secure rights to access, use, manage and benefit from resources in the sea, intertidal zones and inland waters. However, in many fisheries these rights are not clearly established or recognised. Securing tenure rights to aquatic ecosystems customarily owned and used by IPLCs is therefore an important step to enable IPLCS to upscale their efforts to achieve Target 6.

Contributions and experiences of IPLCs towards the target

Many IPLCs utilise complex traditional marine management systems that limit harvest levels and impacts. They offer useful lessons for more sustainable, ecosystem-focused fishing practices at wider scales. Therefore encouraging the continuation and transmission of these often threatened traditional practices is important for the achievement of this target. This section gives some examples (see also Target 10). Traditional fishing practices can increase the sustainability of the management and harvesting of aquatic species The haenyeo 5 are female divers from a local community on the South Korean Island of Jeju who have been harvesting seaweed and shellfish sustainably since the seventeenth century. In addition to providing employment and economic opportunities for women on the island, their traditional methods of collection represent a form of low-impact, sustainable marine harvesting. Typically, haenyeo work in spring and winter, as they observe seasonal prohibitions to preserve marine stocks.6 The divers also “clean the sea” by collecting rubbish one day a month and help to maintain the biodiversity of the marine life through re-seeding programs and exercising controls on the quantity of marine products harvested. These methods benefit both the community and the ecosystems they depend upon.7 Respect for nature is an intrinsic part of the unique shamanistic religion 8 practised on Jeju Island and feeds into the interactions between the haenyeo and the sea they harvest. Enhancing the conservation of aquatic ecosystems through community-based marine sanctuaries and protected areas In the Philippines, community-based marine sanctuaries and marine protected areas control fish catch and harvest and promote traditional fishing practices, in order to ensure long term marine health and food security. However, the experiences of the small community-based marine sanctuaries on Balicasag and Pamilacan Islands demonstrate that it is not realistic for scattered, small no-take areas to try to maintain fish abundance and diversity on surrounding reefs when intensive fishing is occurring immediately adjacent to them. 9This highlights the limitations of small and isolated MPAs10 and emphasises the importance of nesting individual MPAs within broader management regimes, with an ultimate focus on national policies supporting overall reductions in fishing quotas and increased networking between MPAs. Examples of national policy decisions supporting the rights of indigenous fishers to sustainably manage aquatic resources include the recent affirmation of commercial fishing rights to Torres Strait Islanders 11, and increased support for and recognition of the satoumi approach in Japan. Satoumi, a concept encompassing ocean stewardship and traditional local fisheries management and coastal resource use, has been utilised by small communities in Japan over hundreds of years. In addition to mechanisms for the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources, satoumi also includes mechanisms for preserving aquatic ecosystems; in fact it is thought that 30 per cent of the MPAs in Japan are community-based self-imposed no-take zones. The Japanese Government supports satoumi initiatives by awarding exclusive harvest rights to local fishers over specific areas. There is also increasing recognition of the importance of these community initiatives for meeting biodiversity targets, mainstreaming and promoting ecosystem approaches to aquatic resource management. 1213

Opportunities and recommended actions to enhance progress towards the target

Governments to increase respect and recognition of customary tenure and rights to aquatic resources for IPLC fisher folk.
Governments and NGOS to strengthen and learn from traditional sustainable fishing practices to increase the effectiveness of the wider management of aquatic ecosystems.
Governments and NGOs to provide institutional and funding support to upscale community-based marine sanctuaries and marine protected areas.
Governments and other stakeholders to give IPLCs a greater stake and role in the management of fisheries and coastal resources, which will also require outside linkages and support at national, regional and international levels.