Integrated Lake Management

Lessons

Community based fisheries co-management: Beach Management Units

Community-based Beach Management Units (BMUs) form the foundation of fisheries co-management and enable all fisheries stakeholder groups to influence decision-making. BMUs provide a vehicle for improved fisheries governance and poverty-focused and gender sensitive planning. They also provide an entry point to the fisheries communities to facilitate a range of development interventions, as well as contribute to fisheries management. Key lessons in supporting the formation and operation of BMUs are:

1. Legal empowerment: Effective co-management institutions must have clear legal power, setting out the roles and functions of different institutions.
2. Guidelines for BMU formation and operation: In building a national network of BMUs, there must be clear, standardised guidelines to steer BMU formation and basic operation. The guidelines must be linked to related BMU legislation and be mandatory.
3. Extensive versus pilot approach: On the basis of past poor management performance, and in response to growing demand by civil society for closer involvement in fisheries decision-making, the Government decided to adopt a co-management approach using BMUs as the foundation of this approach. Driving influences are inevitably top-down but must be informed by participatory processes.
4. Forming the BMUs: Raising awareness of all stakeholder groups, but particularly marginalised groups, using standardised guidelines, is essential for BMU formation, free and fair election of BMU committees and transparent operation of BMUs.
5. Representation of marginalised groups: Legalised allocation of committee places to more marginalised groups is essential for poverty reduction and promoting gender equity. Constant attention is needed through monitoring to ensure that equitable stakeholder representation is maintained and not high-jacked by dominant groups.
6. Capacity building: Many BMU members are new to group planning and decision-making and require support to ensure they are effective in their roles. BMU committee members are new to record-keeping and accountability and need time to develop these skills as a group. Initial costs of capacity building are high but out-weighed by expected long-term outcomes.
7. Managing conflict: Conflict relating to the use and management of natural resources is to be expected, particularly with the introduction of a new approach that challenges traditional systems of power and decision-making. BMUs provide a mechanism for conflict management and resolution, supported by local councils at village and parish level.
8. BMUs as an entry point to fisheries communities: BMUs bring the fisheries communities together and make it easier for the communities, local governments and other development partners to communicate, plan and work together.
9. Sustainable financing: Any fisheries management institution must secure sustainable financing of its operations for it to be effective. BMUs are fortunate to be able to raise revenue directly from fisheries activities to support planning, management and development.