Incentives mulled for scaleback of fishing activities

THE government is studying the viability of providing economic incentives for local fisherman to scale back their activities once the authorities restrict or potentially ban fishing in marine protected areas (MPA).

Brunei is conducting an assessment of two options to compensate fishermen for loss of income upon establishment of a network of MPAs buy-outs or training fishermen in alternative livelihoods, said a marine conservation expert yesterday.

"I believe this is one of the things being considered in Brunei ... There's two main options; one is training fishermen in alternative livelihoods that are sustainable. That could mean a different type of fishing, or providing resources for them to fish further away," said Dr Leah Karrer of Conservation International.

Alternative livelihoods could also mean training fishermen in an entirely new field, such as tourism-based occupations which would blossom once the MPAs are established, she said.

"The other economic incentive is the buy-out which we also did an assessment of here. That's where you say if you stop fishing, we'll compensate you for your lost income," she told The Brunei Times on the sidelines of the World Oceans Day seminar.

Buy-outs could involve the government buying back the fisherman's vessels or providing them with allowances or one-off grants to compensate for loss of earnings.

Dr Karrer said a study commissioned by Conservation International found that economic incentives had been successful in other countries and fisherman had accepted the restrictions imposed by the MPAs as long the government had provided alternatives for them.

"These two programmes are really important to start early to compensate any initial losses," she added.

When asked whether the government would consider compensation for fishermen whose earnings are affected by the MPAs, Fisheries Director Hjh Hasnah Ibrahim said the government has no official position yet on the provision of economic incentives as they are still in the stage of drawing up a plan for the implementation of MPAs.

The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) yesterday announced that a network of MPAs would be established near Brunei's coastlines, limiting or possibly banning fishing activities in certain areas in order to preserve marine biodiversity and fish stocks.

However, not all experts agreed that compensating fishermen for any short-term losses was necessary.

"In the long-term, the profitability of fisheries will actually increase if we limit the amount of fishing that is conducted to make it sustainable," said Dr Peter Mous (pictured) of People and Nature Consulting International.

Dr Mous is involved in feasibility study on setting up MPAs in Brunei and was a speaker at yesterday's World Oceans Day seminar.

"If you overfish to the point of exploitation, it will take years for the ecosystem to recover and will result in huge losses for the fishing industry as well," he said.

Dr Karrer added that MPAs can become lucrative projects by encouraging tourism which is ultimately a more profitable industry then fishing.

"The other benefit we see is that often marine-protected areas become attractions for tourists... MPAs still allow (small-scale) fishing, diving, a whole range of activities and yes there are restrictions and limitations to ensure marine sustainability but ultimately it ensure sustainable livelihoods." The Brunei Times