Applying Integrated Natural Resources Management to Sustain Coastal Fisheries

Vietnam’s coastal waters feature high bio-diversity and rich fishery resources. The selected study site, Nha Phu Lagoon is characterized by massive degradation of coastal fishery resources. As a result rural livelihoods in coastal communities are threatened. Since households in these communities not only depend on coastal resources but also have various other forms of income outside the fishery sector a multi-sectoral approach is necessary. A multi-sectoral approach not only addresses all these issues but also takes account of the complexity and diversity of the resource system and its users. Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) is one multisectoral research approach that aims to develop innovative and flexible management forms to manage natural resources in a more sustainable way. The applied INRM-approach is characterized through strong interdisciplinary and participation. Interdisciplinary means that socioeconomic and institutional aspects, e.g. resource-user groups and existing legal arrangements are combined with biological as well as production system aspects, e.g. stock assessment as well as aquaculture or gear-fishing techniques. The focus lies on the identification of multiple equal important starting points to improve natural resources. Through the integration of biological and socioeconomic aspects, complex problems were identified within the coastal fishery resource system and its users during a six months investigation period. In groupdiscussions and interviews reasons for the destruction of fishery resources were gathered, e.g. trawling, population increase and pollution from shrimp ponds. This information was then shared with participants, which led to new insights as well as alternative resource management strategies. Illegal trawl-fishermen for example were said to be extremely poor and therefore needed to be treated with great tolerance despite their negative impacts on coastal fishery resources. But during follow-up visits it was discovered that illegal fishermen often belonged to middle-class households around Nha Phu Lagoon and that lax enforcement rather encouraged illegal fishing and punished those fishermen using traditional fishing methods. The participatory approach induced awareness-building and strengthened local decision-making structures. Considering sociological, political, economic and biological elements in the coastal fishery resource system could lead to more sustainable resource management in the future. Introduction Vietnams coastal waters feature rich fishery resources. With 1600km of coastline many livelihoods in coastal communities depend directly or indirectly on fishing or aquaculture. Seafood products also provide most of the protein consumed in Asian diets today. Coastal fishery resources are not only important to supplement human diets; broodstock from wild stocks fuels the growing importance of Vietnams shrimp and lobster industry and coastal waters provide spawning and nursery grounds for the growing offshore fisheries. For this reason recent developments, namely the degradation of coastal fishery resources, gain significant importance for Vietnams future fishery sector. A large share of rural poverty is spread amongst coastal communities highlighting the importance of addressing the issue of degrading coastal fishery resources. Since households in these communities not only depend on fishing or aquaculture but additionally on agriculture or trading for example a multi-sectoral approach is necessary. A multisectoral approach not only addresses this situation but also the fact that pollution from agriculture or aquaculture impacts negatively on coastal waters. This example shows the interdependency between the sectors and explains why the complexity and diversity of the resource system and its