Community Experiences

1
Community ExperiencesThe Polynesians

• John Baxter (Cook Islands)
• Faagau Steve Lefiti (American Samoa)
• Pasui Levi Mikaele (Samoa)

2
Current Situation

• Community fisheries management
• Conservation areas/Raui/Fish Reserves/Marine
  Protected Areas
• Gear control
• Nets (length and mesh sizes/dynamites/poisoning)
• National/Island/Village/Community rules and laws
• eg. Village by-laws in Samoa
• Controlled harvest
• eg. Bonefish (no fishing 3 days before and 3 days
  after full moon
• Catches/quotas (trochus Cook Islands)
• Enforcement community/island council/national
  authority
• i.e Am Samoa deputised community members for
  enforcement

3
Challenges

• Outsiders (people from other island/towns fishing
  or taking fish from managed areas)
• Favouritism among family members
• People understanding management principles
• Awareness within communities
• Resources/equipment/staffing

4
Lessons learnt

• Deputising community representatives (in most
  cases there is no power or legal basis)
• Interpretation of results or scientific
  assessments for community information
• Awareness programmes
• Penalties/fines associated with community
  management

5
Recommendations

• National/regional/international community to
  better understand community level
• Better communications at all levels
• Education/school curriculum
• Better resources
• Follow-up/maintaining momentum