Evolving governance structures in community-based sandfish mariculture and their interactions with livelihood outcomes: Evidence from the Philippines

Sea cucumber mariculture is an important emerging field of practice and applied research in the coastal tropics. This due to existing importance tropical sea fisheries for wealth generation poverty reduction, potential contribute longer term sustainability these while generating benefits additional those from wild caught cucumber. Understanding optimal institutional arrangements area focus this field, with a variety currently place. paper documents establishment communal form ranching Philippines, as case study community level processes. It describes background ranch Victory, challenges encountered how were managed, evolution governance arrangements. In charting process, we assess impacts on livelihood outcomes, highlighting crucial aspect influencing nature involvement ranch. While project generated range livelihoods, including possible spillover effects surrounding fishery, substantial economic returns harvests did not occur. Thus, system governing evolved model more exclusive household primarily improve operational efficiency. order be sustained enhanced, greater integration management government support will needed.