Managing small-scale fisheries confronted with socio-economic changes in New Caledonia (South Pacific)

(1)

MANAGING SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES

CONFRONTED WITH SOCIO-ECONOMIC

CHANGES IN NEW CALEDONIA (South Pacific)

Jean-Michel SOURISSEAU (CIRAD) Arnaud BONMARCHAND (IAC)

Marc LEOPOLD (IRD)

Nicolas GUILLEMOT (IRD/Agrocampus/KNS)

(2)

■ ■■

■ A French A French A French territoryA French territoryterritoryterritory on the on the on the wayon the way to wayway to to emancipationto emancipationemancipationemancipation and and and decolonizationand decolonizationdecolonizationdecolonization

1. Introduction

New

New Caledonia

Caledonia

Caledonia: a

: a

: a biodiversity

biodiversity

biodiversity and

and

and…

and

…

a

a decolonization

decolonization

decolonization hotspot

hotspot

■ ■■

■ The Provinces The Provinces The Provinces ruleThe Provinces rulerulerule economic

economiceconomic

economic developmentdevelopmentdevelopmentdevelopment and land

and land and land

and land settlementsettlementsettlementsettlement ■

■■

■ InstitutionalInstitutionalInstitutional transition Institutional transition transition transition including

includingincluding

including balance balance balance developmentbalance developmentdevelopment: development: : : self

selfself

self---government, administrative -government, administrative government, administrative government, administrative division (3 provinces) & French division (3 provinces) & French division (3 provinces) & French division (3 provinces) & French State (public referee)

State (public referee)State (public referee) State (public referee)

Southern Province Loyalty Islands Province Northern Province

NEW CALEDONIA

(3)

■ ■■

■ An An An industrialAn industrialindustrial and industrial and and and urbanurbanurbanurban center in the center in the northerncenter in the center in the northernnorthern Province for northern Province for Province for Province for balancingbalancing the balancingbalancing the the the economiceconomiceconomiceconomic development

developmentdevelopment

development of New of New of New Caledoniaof New CaledoniaCaledonia::::Caledonia

•A metallurgical plant will process nickel resources of Koniambo massif •4 billiards $ US, 60 000 t Ni/year

•4000 temporary jobs (2008-2012) and 1000 during the operating phase •2500 indirect or induced jobs

•A 200 to 300 % increase in human population (between 2001 and 2020) has been creating the 2d main urban area of New Caledonia

2. Material and Methods

An

An industrial

industrial

industrial mining

mining

mining project

project

project that

that

that serves

that

serves

the

(4)

2. Material and Methods

Management issues and

implementation in the lagoon area

■ ■■

■ SingularSingularSingular factsSingular factsfactsfacts::::

• A projet linked to the concerted decolonization process

• 51 % owned by public funds (Northern Province’s holding)… and supported by local popluation

(5)

2.

2. 2. Material

Material

Material and

and

and Methods

and

Methods

Objective of the

Objective of the study

study

Objective of the case study (COGERON Program):

Identify development management issues & linked supporting

public policies affecting uses in VKP lagoon area

■

ExpectedExpected impacts of the ExpectedExpected impacts of the impacts of the impacts of the industrialindustrialindustrialindustrial projectprojectproject::::project

•To lead the development of the entire Province

•Major changes in the social structure in the neighborhood of the mining project •Direct & indirect environmental impacts of infrastructures (road, excavation, embankment, etc.) and urbanization

(6)

■ ■■

■ InterviewInterviewInterview-Interview--based-basedbased surveysbased surveyssurveys: surveys: : : 3 surveys conducted in the VKP to valorize of local knowledge:

- fishing activities (145 boat fishers),

- commercial networks (87 fishers & all stakeholders of the commercial sector)

- perceptions of changes (77 fishers)

2.

2. 2. Material

Material

Material and

and

and Methods

and

Methods

Interview

Interview-

-

-based

-

based

based approach

approach

■ ■■

■ StudyStudyStudy site: Study site: site: Vohsite: VohVohVoh--Kon--KonKonéKonééé---Pouembout-PouemboutPouemboutPouembout (VKP) area

(VKP) area(VKP) area (VKP) area

3 villages & 6 coastal Melanesian tribes (10 000 inhab.) 360 fishing boats

(7)

3.

(8)

3.1. Fishing pressure:

environmental issues

■ ■ ■

■ But But But But fishersfishersfishersfishers are are are worriedare worriedworried about worried about about about future trends

future trends future trends

future trends (ր fishing pressure)

Is Is Is thereIs therethere a there a depletiona a depletiondepletiondepletion riskriskriskrisk in main in main in main in main target

target target

target areas ? areas ? areas ? areas ? ■

■ ■

■ CoralCoralCoralCoral reefsreefsreefsreefs are are are are perceivedperceivedperceivedperceived in in in in healthy

healthy healthy

healthy conditions conditions conditions conditions ■

■ ■

■ Diverse uses in the Diverse uses in the Diverse uses in the Diverse uses in the lagoonlagoonlagoonlagoon areaareaareaarea

Finfish catch rate (kg/ha/year)

(9)

■ ■ ■

■ 2 2 2 2 conflictingconflictingconflicting lawconflicting lawlawlaw systemssystemssystemssystems

French law and customary rights

3.2. The

3.2. The lagoon

lagoon

lagoon area

area

area is

is

is ruled

ruled

ruled and

and

divided

divided by

by

by territory

territory

territory issues

territory

issues

■ ■ ■

■ InformalInformalInformalInformal rulesrulesrulesrules enforceenforceenforceenforce separateseparateseparateseparate usesusesusesuses •Free access areas (French law)

•Restricted areas (customary rights) •Exclusive areas (customary rights)

This spatial This spatial This spatial organizationThis spatial organizationorganizationorganization faces major faces major faces major risksfaces major risksrisks of changerisks of changeof changeof change due to the

due to the due to the

(10)

3.3.

3.3. 3.3. Lagoon

Lagoon

Lagoon finfish

Lagoon

finfish

finfish fishery

fishery

fishery:

fishery

:

social and

social and economic

economic

economic issues

issues

FINFISH CATCH: 190 t/yr ~ 360 BOAT FISHERS SELF-CONSUMPTION: 77 t/yr GIFT: 60 t/yr Customary gift Casual gift ■ ■■

■ Fish gifts: social Fish gifts: social Fish gifts: social roleFish gifts: social rolerolerole

•One-way or reciprocal gifts •Customary gifts (ceremonies)

SALE: 60 t/yr Local market: 33 t/yr Export (Nouméa ): 27 t/yr ■ ■■

■ Sale: Sale: Sale: economicSale: economiceconomic roleeconomic rolerolerole

•6 fishers sale ½ of total catch •55 % of the catch is sold locally

The local The local The local The local marketmarketmarketmarket willwillwill have will have have have to

to to

to provideprovideprovideprovide + 90 t/+ 90 t/+ 90 t/yr+ 90 t/yryryr in 2015 ! in 2015 ! in 2015 ! in 2015 ! (cf. rise in population)

■ ■ ■

(11)

3.4. The social

3.4. The social ecological

ecological

ecological system of

ecological

system of

VKP

VKP lagoon

lagoon

lagoon ::::

lagoon

4 major

4 major stakes

stakes

e.g. How e.g. How thise.g. How e.g. How thisthis system this system system system willwill copewillwill copecopecope withwithwith a + 150 % with a + 150 % risea + 150 % a + 150 % riserise in the rise in the in the demandin the demand for demanddemand for for for fishfishfish marketfish marketmarketmarket ???? Local economy

Informal ownership

of the lagoon area

Marine environment

(habitat & resources)

People (social needs)

(12)

■ ■ ■

■ Scenario 1 : Local Scenario 1 : Local Scenario 1 : Local fishScenario 1 : Local fishfishfish supplysupply ⇒supplysupply ⇒⇒⇒ + 50 % catch in the + 50 % catch in the + 50 % catch in the + 50 % catch in the lagoonlagoonlagoonlagoon ր number of fishers OR ր fishing intensity/fisher ?

The social

The social ecological

ecological

ecological system of

ecological

system of

VKP

VKP lagoon

lagoon

(cont.)

Local economy

of the lagoon area

(habitat & resources) People

(13)

■ ■ ■

■ Scenario 2 : Fish imports & Scenario 2 : Fish imports & Scenario 2 : Fish imports & supplyScenario 2 : Fish imports & supplysupply of supply of of of pelagicpelagicpelagicpelagic fishfishfishfish

Local economy

of the lagoon area

(habitat & resources) People

(social needs)

The social

The social ecological

ecological

ecological system of

ecological

system of

VKP

VKP lagoon

lagoon

(14)

Local economy

of the lagoon area

(habitat & resources)

People (social needs)

LAGOON AREA

Conclusion

■ ■ ■

■ The The The functioningThe functioningfunctioningfunctioning of the system of the system of the system of the system isisisis linkedlinked to the linkedlinked to the to the miningto the miningminingmining projectprojectprojectproject itselfitselfitselfitself and

and and

and supportingsupportingsupportingsupporting public public public public policiespoliciespoliciespolicies

■ ■ ■

■ But not a But not a But not a But not a politicalpoliticalpolitical prioritypolitical priorityprioritypriority yetyetyet…yet……… ■

■ ■

■ A system & A system & A system & A system & anticipatinganticipatinganticipatinganticipating approach

approach approach

approach to management & to management & to management & to management & policy

policy policy