{"id":7001,"date":"2017-11-13T11:57:55","date_gmt":"2017-11-13T15:57:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/?p=7001"},"modified":"2017-11-13T11:57:55","modified_gmt":"2017-11-13T15:57:55","slug":"japan-philippines-fishery-exchange-highlights-the-benefits-of-collaboration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/edfish\/2017\/11\/13\/japan-philippines-fishery-exchange-highlights-the-benefits-of-collaboration\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan-Philippines fishery exchange highlights the benefits of collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bringing fishers and fishery managers from different places together through fishery exchanges is a powerful way to learn and build trust as you explore new approaches to manage fishing. After attending \u00a0and leading dozens of fishery exchanges over the years, I have been amazed by the peer-to-peer discussions that take place, regardless of language barriers or cultural differences, and the candor of government officials and fishers describing the challenges they have faced or successes they have worked to achieve. It is incredible to see participants hear about something new or innovative that they could bring back to their communities.\u00a0 The excitement is contagious.<\/p>\n

\"\"While there are always major differences between fisheries that make some aspects of learning challenging or even inapplicable, we want people to recognize and appreciate the uniqueness of ones fishery. There is not a \u201cone size fits all\u201d approach to managing fisheries because each fishery has its own set of characteristics based on the history of the fishery, culture of the area, species composition, governance structure, resources, and most importantly fishers and their accustomed fishing practices.\u00a0 These exchanges are an opportunity to share experiences with others and to learn from each other about new and different approaches that can be adopted to improve fisheries management.<\/p>\n

Recently, EDF and our partner Rare-Philippines organized a Japan-Philippines exchange for a delegation from the Philippines to visit several fisheries in Mie Prefecture, Japan.\u00a0 We were particularly inspired to see firsthand what happens when fishers are empowered by the local government to make day to day management decisions: they pursue solutions that improve their livelihoods, and the long term sustainability of the fish they depend on. Those attending included champion mayors and their local government staff from eight municipalities that all have legally approved TURF+Reserves<\/a> and are in the process of implementing these new systems on the water.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The focus of the exchange was to share experiences from the Philippines in designing TURF+Reserves in municipal waters with the longstanding coast-wide network of TURFs in Japan whose origin date back to the 17th<\/sup> century.\u00a0 We met with government officials from Mie prefecture, professors from the University of Tokyo, Ama divers in Toshijima, and cooperative members from the Mie Gaiwan cooperative, the Wagu Spiny lobster cooperative, and the Toshijima cooperative.\u00a0 We also had the opportunity to visit three fish landing sites to see offloads and witness the auction system.<\/p>\n

Japanese fishers leading sustainable management efforts, with government support: <\/strong><\/p>\n

Japanese coastal fisheries are struggling to adapt to today\u2019s changing world \u2013 an ageing fleet, shifting species range due to climate change and environmental degradation and incorporation of science-based management. However, it\u2019s clear that fishers are empowered through the strong role devolved to them from the prefecture government to make day-to-day management decisions of their fisheries. They play an integral part in the decision making process, adapting to changes on the water and the dock. As a result, they have innovated and improved their cooperatives to keep them operational.<\/p>\n

Over the years, changes have been made where cooperatives have merged and they have diversified their products to include live, fresh, and frozen products.\u00a0 Often times, they are involved in decisions to set much more stringent fishing regulations.\u00a0 For example, the Mie prefecture government sets minimum size limit restrictions that cooperatives often decide among themselves to adjust\u2014setting more conservative limits to allow for more spawning to take place and leave resources for future generations.<\/p>\n

The fisher cooperatives play a much bigger role in the day-to-day management of the coastal fisheries and decide how the fishers in the coop will fish and sell their product, while the prefecture government plays important roles to set them up for success.<\/p>\n

These include:<\/p>\n