Adaptations and policies for food security

Presented by Johann Bell

This presentation is based on Chapter 13 ‘Adapting tropical Pacific fisheries and aquaculture to climate change: management measures, policies and investments’ in the book Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change, edited by JD Bell, JE Johnson and AJ Hobday and published by SPC in 2011.

The authors of Chapter 13 are: Johann Bell, Neil Andrew, Michael Batty, Lindsay Chapman, Jeffrey Dambacher, Brian Dawson, Alex Ganachaud, Peter Gehrke, John Hampton, Alistair Hobday, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Johanna Johnson, Jeff Kinch, Robert Le Borgne, Patrick Lehodey, Janice Lough, Tim Pickering, Morgan Pratchett, Aliti Vunisea and Michelle Waycott

Authors

Purpose• Practical adaptations and policies are

needed to minimise and fill the gapQ

uanti

ty o

f fish

/hab

itat

Qua

ntity

of fi

sh/h

abita

t

Time

Well-managed fisheries

Fish needed by growing population

Fish needed by growing population

Fish available from coastal stocks

Fish available from coastal stocks

Poorly-managed fisheries

Gap in supply of fish to be filled

Time

Fish available from stocks

Fish available from stocks

Fish habitat

Fish habitat

a)

b)

Adaptation decision framework

Lose-Lose

X X

Lose-Win

X

Win-Win

x

X

Long-term Loss Long-term GainN

ear-

term

Gai

nN

ear-

term

Los

sAddresses climate change

Addr

esse

s pr

esen

t driv

ers

After Grafton (2010)

Win-Lose

Win-win adaptationsManage and restore vegetation cover in catchments

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Improves resilience of coral reef, mangrove and seagrass habitats

Win-win adaptationsSustain production of fish stocks

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Maintaining spawning adults will help ensure replenishment and build resilience of key species

Win-win adaptationsStore and distribute tuna and bycatch from industrial fleets to urban areas

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Win-win adaptations

Increase access to tuna with anchored inshore Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs)

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Win-win adaptations

Improve post-harvest methods

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Photo: Jocelyn Carlin

Win-win adaptationsDevelop pond aquaculture in rural and peri-urban areas

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Photo: Ben Ponia

Win-win adaptations

Develop coastal fisheries for small pelagic species

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L?

Photo: Nathalie Behring

Other adaptationsProvide for landward migration of coastal fish habitats

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Other adaptationsReduce and diversify catches of demersal fish

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Greater focus on herbivorous fish

Other adaptationsAllow for expansion of freshwater fish habitats

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Other adaptationsModify locations and infrastructure for aquaculture

L-W

W-W

L-L

W-L

Suggested supporting policies

• Strengthen governance of agriculture, forestry and mining practices to prevent soil loss and pollution, to safeguard fish habitats and water quality

• Minimise barriers to migration of coastal and freshwater habitats

• Promote mangrove replanting programmes• Apply ‘primary fisheries management’ to coastal and

freshwater stocks to maintain their potential for replenishment

Suggested supporting policies

• Restrict export of demersal fish to retain them for national food security

• Increase access to tuna for the food security by reducing national allocations to industrial fleets

• Capitalise on opportunities for freshwater pond aquaculture

• Limit farming of Nile tilapia to catchments where tilapia species are already established, or there is a shortage of fish

Key investments Revegetation of catchments to trap sediment and

maintain riparian (stream side) buffer zones Modify infrastructure to allow habitats to migrate Implement community-based ecosystem approach to

fisheries management Develop business models and incentives to store,

process and distribute of low-cost tuna and bycatch Assess feasibility of using licence fees to offset cost of

locally-canned tuna for inland populations

Key investments

Surveys of best sites for installing inshore FADs Programmes to install and maintain FADs Identify prime locations for peri-urban and rural

pond aquaculture Hatcheries and networks to deliver juvenilesEvaluate merits of micro-credit schemes to develop

fisheries around FADs; expand pond aquaculture; and scale-up post-harvest processing

Conclusions

• Win-win adaptations are available to reduce risks and capitalise on opportunities

• Supporting policies and investments are needed

• Integrate adaptations, policies and investments into national strategies and action plans for climate change, including community-based actions supported by partners