BUREAU OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC RESOURCES

3F PCA Building, Elliptical Road, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

info@bfar.da.gov.ph PHILIPPINES
Mainstreaming EAFM Program Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management Planning and Implementation Process

EAFM Plan Outline

Five-Year EAFM Plan for__________FMA (Y1-Y5)

1. Vision (Step 1)

• Vision statement, illustration of common vision

2. Background (Step 1)

• Description and map of the FMA - ecosystem boundaries, political jurisdictions

• History of fishing and management in the FMA (timeline, law/policy background)
• Current status of fisheries resources and fishing livelihoods (baseline data on fleets, gear, people
involved, IUUF, etc.)
What is AN ECOSYSTEM-APPROACH? • Socio-economic profiles (stakeholder groups and their economic/development status and
interests; socio-economic benefits, value chains, etc. where available)
• It is integrated management across land, water and natural resources that promotes both • Existing management arrangements (using governance benchmarking)
conservation and sustainable use of the whole ecosystem. • Special environmental and cultural considerations (protected area, ancestral domain,
vulnerability to climate change/ disasters) Information and data needs (gaps)
• It strives to find a balance between ecological well-being and human well-being through
good governance. 3. Major issues and problems (Step 2)

Why EAFM? Ecosystem-Approach to • Use risk assessment to prioritize issues Low impact High impact
Fisheries Management and problems Very likely Very likely

• Fisheries face many threats and issues that

reduce their potential to contribute to GOOD GOVERNANCE Low impact Low impact
sustainable development. 4. Goals (Step 2) Unlikely Not likely

• In the past, fisheries management has taken • Formulate goals for clustered issues to
a single species approach, but there are few address priority issues and problems LOW HIGH
success stories. Impact
ECOLOGIC AL HUMAN
5. Objectives, indicators and benchmarks (Step 3)
WELL-BEING WELL-BEING
• There is a need to account for the broader
ecosystem impacts of fisheries and to • Setting objectives for each goal; identifying indicators and benchmarks to measure progress to
manage more holistically. FOR FUTURE GENER ATION achieve objectives (including data needs and data sources)

EAFM is the ecosystem approach (EA) 6. Management actions (Step 3)

applied to fisheries management (FM)
• Identify specific management actions to achieve objectives
EA + FM = EAFM
Mainstreaming EAFM Program Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management Planning and Implementation Process

Management Action: What is the MAINSTREAMING-EAFM Program1?

What management actions are currently being used?
EAFM plan objectives that will be addressed with this management action: BFAR is mainstreaming EAFM by facilitating EAFM planning and implementation processes in
What Agency When Where action is Indicative Remarks identified fisheries management areas (FMA), in partnership with LGUs, other national government
Responsible implemented budget agencies (NGAs), fisherfolk communities, civil society organizations, private sector, academe, and
(Who)
other stakeholders.
What specific tasks need to Timeframe & Complementary
be done? milestones activities outside
scope/jurisdiction
Objectives
1. Role of BFAR and other of BFAR (i.e. which
national agencies require inter-depart- The Program aims for stakeholders in an FMA to:
and/or mental cooperation)
2. State the roles/tasks of e.g. PAMB of NIPAS • Understand the concept and need for an ecosystem approach to fisheries management;
LGUs with respect to their protected area
jurisdiction • Acquire knowledge and skills to develop, implement and monitor an ‘EAFM Plan’ to
sustainably manage capture fisheries;
• Define and scope the FMA
• Prepare and adopt an EAFM Plan for the FMA
7. Institutional arrangements, community empowerment, capacity building (Step 3)

• Councils, alliances, task forces, TWG, etc.
• Stakeholder rights to participate in decision-making (through FARMC, and others) Each identified fisheries management area
The Fisheries Code (R.A. No. 8550, as
• Strategy and plan to build capacity to implement management actions prepares and implements an EAFM Plan.
amended by R.A. No. 10654) recognizes an
Stakeholders agree on goals, objectives, and
ecosystem-based approach to fisheries
8. Monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) framework/ arrangements management actions, and commit to perform
management (EAFM) as the foundation for
9. Sustainable financing (Step 3) their respective roles in implementing the
managing fisheries resources. Under EAFM,
EAFM Plan. Monitoring and evaluation are
fisheries management necessarily includes
• Estimated costs of implementing management actions regularly conducted to ensure the progress and
conserving biodiversity, enhancing ecosystem
• Source of funds to finance management actions (budget, user fees, etc.) achievement of the goals and objectives, and that
services and addressing the impacts of
• Strategy for pooling of funds for inter-LGU/ inter-agency management actions management actions are well executed.
climate change. EAFM entails balancing
ecological well-being and human well-being
10. Implementation plan and communication strategy (Step 4) The EAFM Plan is a ‘living document’ that is
through good governance - where resource
regularly refined and updated to address priority
use benefits are shared equitably and
• Strategy for continuing stakeholder engagement, especially in decision-making issues and problems. It also considers the
resource management is participatory
• Formulate key messages and appropriate communication strategy targeting various audiences governance capacity of implementing partners.
and gender-sensitive.
to build consensus and support for the EAFM Plan and its implementation

11. Monitoring and Evaluation; review of the plan – (Step 5)

• Develop M&E plan that sets methods and frequency of measurement of indicators under 1
The materials used in the EAFM Planning and Implementation Process Guidebook and presentations
each objective. were adapted from the Essential EAFM Training Course. (http://www.boblme.org/eafm/course_materials.html)
Mainstreaming EAFM Program Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management Planning and Implementation Process

EAFM Planning and Implementation Process The Future We Want: OUR VISION

The EAFM Planning and Implementation Process follows a standard procedure for preparing an EAFM • Increased jobs, profits, and improved economy
Plan that promotes common understanding among all stakeholders of the principles and strategies • Improved human health and prosperity
underlying EAFM. • Healthy environment and habitats
• Well-governed fisheries sector
There are three stages in the process cycle: • Abundant fisheries resources
1) Plan - Prepare the EAFM Plan
2) Do - Implement the plan
3) Check and Improve - Monitor and evaluate implementation; adapt implementation based on the EAFM Plan
evaluation; and revise the plan if necessary.
In each Module in the EAFM Planning and Implementation Process, participants discuss and agree on
START components of the EAFM Plan. They document their outputs in templates provided in the Workbook.
UP The templates are compiled to constitute the draft EAFM Plan following a standard outline.
REALITY
1 CHECK Implementation of the EAFM Plan
DEFINE & SCOPE
THE FMA
1. Role of BFAR (convener of the EAFM Planning and Implementation Process; lead agency in
5 MONITOR, IDENTIFY & 2
EVALUATE,
implementing actions to manage fisheries beyond municipal waters; facilitator of inter-agency
PRIORITIZE
& ADAPT ISSUES & G OALS cooperation/collaboration);
PLAN
CHECK DEVELOP
AND IMPLEMENT
EAFM 2. Roles of partner LGUs (implementer of LGU actions within its political jurisdiction; partner in inter-
PLAN
IMPROVE THE PLA N 3 LGU/inter-agency collaboration to implement the EAFM Plan in an ecologically meaningful scale).
4

DO EAFM
PLAN

There are five steps in the process cycle. The first three steps break down the development
of the EAFM Plan:
1) Define and scope the fisheries management area;
2) Identify and prioritize issues and goals
3) Develop the EAFM Plan containing the specific management actions.

Steps 4 and 5 correspond to the stages of implementation and M&E:

4) Implement the Plan
5) Monitor and evaluate implementation, adapt and improve the plan and/or its implementation.
Mainstreaming EAFM Program Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management Planning and Implementation Process

The Key Principles of EAFM
The EAFM Planning and Implementation Handbook and presentations divide the steps into Modules
that participants go through to prepare the EAFM Plan. In the first workshop (Overview and Start-up
Tasks), participants go through Modules 1-11 to understand the concepts and foundation for EAFM,
and complete the start-up tasks. In the second workshop (Development of the Draft EAFM Plan),
participants go through Modules 1-9 with associated Activities that guide them in the preparation of
various sections of the EAFM Plan.

Good Appropriate Increased Multiples

Governance Scale Participation Objectives

Cooperation Adaptive Precautionary

& Coordination Management Approach EAFM planning and implementation is a continuing process to ensure sustainability of fisheries
resources, and improvement in the quality of life and livelihoods of fisherfolk communities

VISION
GOALS
Adapt
Plan
OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE OBJECTIVE
1 2 3

Adapt
Plan
INDICATOR INDICATOR INDICATOR
& BENCHMARK & BENCHMARK & BENCHMARK

The ACTIONS ACTIONS ACTIONS

Plan
Mainstreaming EAFM Program Ecosystems Approach to Fisheries Management Planning and Implementation Process

Convening Participants to Prepare the EAFM Plan

A key principle of EAFM is the increased participation of stakeholders. However, the scale of an FMA
poses a big challenge in convening all stakeholders to discuss and agree on an EAFM Plan with all
its detailed components. Keeping in mind the need for meaningful and effective participation of all
stakeholders at various stages of EAFM planning and implementation, the process is divided into three
key events that BFAR, as program implementer, leads and facilitates:

2.) Workshop 2
Development of the draft
EAFM Plan
The EAFM team re-convenes,
bringing materials and
information from stakeholders
needed to define and scope
the FMA and develop a draft
EAFM Plan;

1.) Workshop 1 3.) Stakeholder Consultation

Overview and Start-up Task Validation and adoption of the EAFM Plan
BFAR convenes an EAFM Team for The EAFM Team convenes a stakeholder
the FMA to lay the foundation for the consultation (with sufficient representation
EAFM planning and implementation from all key stakeholder groups) to review and
process. The EAFM team learns about validate and/or revise the draft EAFM Plan.
EAFM and performs start-up tasks Stakeholders may agree to adopt the plan
to prepare for developing the draft (as stakeholders), and/or agree to a process
EAFM Plan, including informing other of formal adoption of the plan by each LGU
stakeholders of the EAFM planning and (through the process provided under the
implementation process; Local Government Code). The stakeholder
consultation is a continuing process of getting
consensus and commitment to implement the
EAFM Plan.