WWF-NL

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Fisheries on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius (Caribbean Netherlands) are important for the local economy and food provision on the islands. In the Caribbean Netherlands, fisheries and (dive) tourism contribute significantly to the GDP, with 1% and >50% respectively. Whereas in the Netherlands, this is only 0,1% for fisheries and the fisheries industry (Agrimatie, 2020) and 4,4% for tourism (CBS, 2019).

Fisheries can have a negative impact on the health of a marine ecosystem. In the past, fishing activities have negatively affected the health of Caribbean coral reefs (de Graaf et al. 2015, de Graaf 2016 & de Graaf et al. 2017). The current impact of local fisheries in the Caribbean Netherlands on the marine ecosystem is largely unknown but is expected to be prevalent. Fisheries are regulated through outdated fisheries regulations (Ecovision, 2018). Fisheries monitoring on Saba and St. Eustatius is limited to the landings only. On Bonaire, no monitoring is being carried out. In addition, very limited information on fish stock health is available and no studies into the seafood market structure have been performed. For the Caribbean Netherlands, no reliable information is available on the import and export of seafood, seafood sales nor consumption statistics.

This market study was performed to analyze the local fisheries and seafood supply chain on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. The goal of this study is to provide recommendations to WWFNL to enhance sustainable practices in the fisheries and seafood supply chain in the Caribbean Netherlands through market mechanisms. A total of 361 interviews were performed and additional information was acquired by a literature study and consulting local stakeholders and authorities. Interviewees were subdivided into four groups: professional fishermen, supermarkets/ restaurants, consumers and importers/exporters. Interviews from the four categories were analyzed for each island separately.

On Bonaire, fishermen mainly catch pelagic species and they primary sell these to middlemen on the island. The vast majority of the restaurants on Bonaire serve locally sourced seafood (85%) while only few supermarkets sell local seafood (27%). Fishermen on Bonaire also indicated to fish on and/or source seafood, including conch and lobster, from Las Aves (Venezuela) indicating that not all ‘local fish’ is fished in the waters of Bonaire. Whether ‘local’ seafood sold on Bonaire originates from Las Aves or Bonaire itself is unknown and unmonitored, masking a potential shortage in local fish stocks. Fishermen on Saba mainly fish for lobster and redfish. Almost all lobster is exported to St. Maarten, part of which is shipped onwards to Hong Kong. Some fishermen also sell part of their catch to local restaurants and consumers. During this research, all restaurants on Saba said to serve local seafood, and 40% of the supermarkets sell local seafood. Fishermen on St. Eustatius primarily catch lobster and reef fish and indicated that they sell their catch to local consumers, restaurants or transport it to St. Barthelemy. However, according to the former data monitoring officer (DMO), a large part of the lobster catch is also exported to St. Maarten and St. Martin. This was not indicated by the interviewees. Of the interviewed restaurants 58% serve local fish and only 22% of the supermarkets sell local seafood on Saba.

We have found that, to stimulate sustainable practices, supermarkets and restaurants on Bonaire and Saba would consider promoting local sustainable species, boycott less sustainable species and/or would consider to implement an ecolabel. Boycotting less sustainable species is not a preferred option according to restaurants and supermarkets on St. Eustatius.

Consumers on Bonaire and St. Eustatius primarily buy local seafood directly from fishermen. However, during the interviews on Bonaire it became clear that many consumers are not aware that these fishermen are in fact middlemen. On Saba, consumers have no preference for buying local seafood at a certain location. Quality is indicated as the most important purchasing criterion, followed by origin (local vs non-local) and sustainability. Consumers indicated to be willing to pay more for sustainable species.

From this market study, it became clear that the seafood supply chains on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius completely lack transparency. There are currently no central locations where consumers can buy local seafood. No information is available or provided on the species, origin and capture method.

On Bonaire, fixed prices of local seafood were implemented by the government in 1996 to ensure that local residents are able to buy locally sourced seafood (see Appendix 5). These fixed prices have not been revised since. Fishermen are still receiving the same price for their fish, whilst the costs of fishing and living have increased and catches have declined.

When trying to obtain information on the fisheries sector from local authorities, responsible agencies and/or international databases, it was found that structural, reliable and comprehensive data on import/export, number of fishermen, total landings and registered seafood selling locations is not available for Bonaire, Saba nor St. Eustatius. Because of this lack of information, we have not been able to draw quantitative conclusions from information gathered with the interviews. Therefore, we have not been able to give detailed recommendations on specific market mechanisms. However, we have formulated recommendations for qualitative improvements in the seafood sector in the Caribbean Netherlands. These recommendations are summarized below.

RECOMMENDATIONS

We recommend to implement a comprehensive fisheries management plan on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. This fisheries management plan must include a monitoring scheme in which at least the total landings per species, the bycatch levels, fishing gear, number of fishermen and fishing trips are monitored and registered for each island. With this information, together with fishery-independent data where required, fish stock assessments can be carried out which will provide insights into the effects of fishing activities on the fish stocks. This monitoring must be structural and will provide information to evaluate and adapt the management system when necessary. The fisheries management plan should also include mandatory fishermen registration, improved data collection on seafood trade flows, including the import and export of seafood and a traceability system.

In the past, both national and local fisheries regulations have been developed and implemented without participation of fishermen. This has resulted in unclarity about the responsibility of legislation as well as unfamiliarity with, lack of support for and non-compliance with the law. Fishermen, the local government and national park authorities should work together in updating and implementing marine park regulations when these affect or concern fisheries. This will increase involvement, understanding and compliance and will improve collaboration between these stakeholders.

We recommend to increase the visibility of the fisheries on the islands through a visibility and awareness campaign targeting consumers, restaurants and other seafood buyers and resellers. This will improve the ability of consumers to find and recognize local fish and make sustainable choices, as well as becoming aware of the impact and role these fisheries have on the islands. Awareness on sustainability in the fisheries sector should include advice on which species to choose or which to avoid. This visibility and awareness campaign will also be beneficial for the fisheries as this will enable them to position themselves as a sustainable, economically and culturally important actor on the islands. This will enhance their sense of responsibility and recognition on the island and hereby increase the incentive to follow regulations and collaborate with fisheries authorities.

Throughout the Caribbean, like in the rest of the world, the abundance of marine fish species have been declining over the past decades. The health and abundance of fish stocks depend not only on fishing pressure but also on the quality of the marine ecosystems. In the Caribbean Netherlands, coral reefs and the open ocean are the main ecosystems in which the species targeted by the fisheries sector occur. Coral reefs are marine biodiversity hotspots that are not only invaluable for coastal protection but also have a high economic value through associated fisheries and tourism. As healthy fish stocks are essential for the existence of fisheries, concentrating efforts towards more sustainable fishery practices, will not only benefit ecosystems, but also fishermen and other users that contribute to the local economy such as dive tourism. Hence, proper management of the fisheries sector is important for the existence of the profession and for ensuring food security, and also for other sectors which are vital to the economy of the islands. Moreover fisheries plays a very important role when it comes to culture and identity of inhabitants of the Caribbean. As a recreational activity it is a vital source of wellbeing. Hence, it is not only food and dollars that make fisheries an activity to manage well.

As opposed to historical fisheries management in the Caribbean Netherlands, sustainable fisheries management must be a joint effort by the local government, national government, nature NGOs, fishermen and buyers. In addition, adequate enforcement must be in place. Truly sustainable fisheries management requires an active and adaptive approach to the conservation of areas and species, a focus on communication, education and awareness, active research and monitoring, and interaction with stakeholders. Additionally, it requires an integrated approach to address serious anthropogenic threats such as pollution, the introduction of invasive species and climate change, as well as addressing the need for the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.

Although fisheries management in the Caribbean Netherlands has improved dramatically compared to 10 years ago, many fish stocks are still declining. To make fisheries management more collaborative and sustainable WWF believes that external factors influencing fish stocks should be taken into account. If not, there is a high chance that commercial fish stocks in the Caribbean Netherlands will decline even further to the point where they are no longer economically viable and will be replaced by lower trophic species. This is already happening in the Caribbean Netherlands and is a prelude to ecosystem collapse as seen on other islands in the region, where fisheries management is in an even much poorer state than on the Dutch islands. Lessons should be learnt from places like Jamaica, where badly managed artisanal fishing played a big role in the collapse of the local coral reef ecosystem.

GOAL OF THE CURRENT POLICY BRIEF

Being aware of the challenges faced by the fisheries sector in the Caribbean Netherlands, both ecologically, socially and institutionally, WWF-NL conducted a series of studies to gain practical insights in these challenges. The aim was to draw up a suggested course of action to strengthen and improve the current fisheries management practices on the three islands. These studies are currently being finalized but due to the review deadline for the sustainable fisheries plan of the ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety, WWF-NL decided to share the preliminary findings through this policy brief. The goal of this policy brief is to provide legislators as well as stakeholders within the fisheries sector with a summary of the key findings obtained from WWF-NL‘s fisheries research with the aim to translate these findings into fisheries policy and management. If these recommendations are followed, we are confident that truly sustainable fisheries can be achieved in the Caribbean Netherlands. Of note is that scientific references, details on study findings and other additional information can be found in the associated study reports that will be published in the course of the upcoming few months.

OVERALL KEY FINDINGS

Urgency: Currently the fisheries sectors of the Caribbean Netherlands are not being managed adequately. The sector is not transparent, most targeted or commercial fish stocks are either over exploited or fully exploited and dwindling. And a lot of fishermen are not able to meet their domestic and family needs. However, there is potential to turn this situation around. This would require an investment in time, support, collaboration with all stakeholders and an investment in human resources and capital.

Responsibility: The Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food safety ultimately is responsible for fisheries management. This is not limited to having up to date legislation and policy. It is also the minister’s responsibility to ensure that implementation and enforcement of legislation and policy takes place. This requires that the implementing partners (public entities, park authorities, The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, police, fishermen themselves, etc.), which do not necessarily fall under the direct responsibility of the ministry, have sufficient resources, skills and support to fulfil their tasks. Given the small scale and limited availability of resources on the islands it is therefore advisable to share the responsibility amongst different stakeholders. This ensures that 1) There are enough resources, both human and financial; and 2) That there will be support for the policy. This does require that the division of roles are realistic and clear for all involved parties.

Integral approach: Collaboration with the different ministries such as the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, the Ministry of Justice and Security, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministry Social Affairs and Employment is crucial to ensure an effective governance structure with and within the public entities. Aforementioned ministries all have a relation to the fisheries sector and are needed and able to make the required positive change in the fisheries sector and should therefore be included in policy development and implementation.

Coherency: Fisheries management should be in line with national, regional and international fisheries and conservation laws, regulations and recommendations, such as the international guidelines from the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC), FAO Small Scale Fisheries Guidelines, 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement, CITES, CMS, etc., the national nature policy plans and island laws and regulations. Sustainable fisheries management should use an internationally recommended ecosystem based approach as well as precautionary approach as its founding principles.

Inclusiveness: And last but not least we would like to emphasize that resource management comes down to people management. This means that proper and effective resource management thus not only revolves around legislation, enforcement, monitoring and research. But, more importantly, attention must be paid to the organizations, institutions and individuals assigned with the task to manage the resource. In order to achieve effective management, these entities are required to be well equipped for their executive duties. Even more so, it is of importance that the individuals who are affected directly by the management measures are directly included in the process. This can be done through co-management in which different actors in fisheries are included in the way management is set up and implemented. . The inclusion of local fishers in the management process appears to be most effective and successful when they are able to organize themselves with clearly defined representatives. This tends to aid the efficiency of the co-management process, communication between parties and tends to result in more uniformity and support among the stakeholders regarding the management measures. The option of exploring the ideas of co-management and the inclusion of fishermen can be initiated by organizing workshops with fishermen on every island to identify shared goals and management strategies. It should also be considered that there are new or non-traditional fishing activities on the islands from Chinese, Latin American or other immigrants, therefore these groups should be included in the management structure as well.

Why is it so difficult to manage the fisheries sector on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius and how should this be tackled in the future in order to have long-lasting results? In the past, there have been several attempts to achieve more sustainable and better-managed fisheries practices on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius, but they (partially) failed. Success has been achieved regarding conservation of certain species, for example, the sea turtles. There are several institutions responsible for, related to, or with an interest in fisheries management on the three islands. In the ideal situation, these institutions and stakeholders would collaborate to manage the sector. However, this is where it goes wrong: collaboration is not going smoothly, or is non-existent.

Since the constitutional change in 2010, the Netherlands is more prominently present on the islands in terms of policy, legislation, and management. Because the Government of the Netherlands has an international accountability concerning fisheries (i.e. contributing to global monitoring of fish stocks), has more capacity to and is in general more active in getting things done (i.e. cultural difference), more pressure has been put on the fisheries sector of the three islands to be managed. Since 2010, several projects have been executed (e.g. monitoring research, attempts to create a fishery cooperative, EEZ legislation, and implementation of a shark and marine mammal/cetacean sanctuary). However, on all three islands structural collaboration with the fishers remains an issue according to all stakeholders. The World Wide Fund for Nature – The Netherlands (WWF-NL) has been working on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius for many decades and has an interest to develop economically viable and community-supported sustainable fisheries. As WWF-NL learned about the difficulties present on the islands regarding the fisheries sector, WWF-NL also became more involved in attempting to realize sustainable fisheries management on the islands.

Aware of the fact that managing the fisheries sector is as much a social as an ecological issue, WWF-NL asked Stacey Mac Donald (KITLV) to assist with identifying the social bottlenecks and specifically the come up with solutions for these bottlenecks. The question raised was under which circumstances it will be possible to engage fishers in an organized manner in the development of sustainable fisheries. To come up with workable solutions, WWF-NL set up the ‘Social Mapping’ project to get a better understanding of who the stakeholders are and what their position is regarding fisheries management. To do so, first a description of the fisheries sector on each island (Chapter 3) and the different institutions, organizations and stakeholders responsible for fisheries management on the three islands were identified (Chapter 4). This produced two key findings:

Of all the of stakeholders and organizations involved with fisheries, many often do not know who is responsible for what (or why); 2. Confirming what was already known: the fishers, who are the primary stakeholders, are not structurally or sufficiently involved in the entire process of fisheries management.

Because it was believed the issues are most pressing on Bonaire, an intervention study on Bonaire was conducted in which the researcher collaborated closely with the fishers. Initially the intervention aimed to identifying how to best organize a meeting with fishermen in order to involve them in fisheries management practices. This developed into establishment of a fisheries cooperative (Chapter 5). Based on the intervention study and interviews, the different views about fisheries and fisheries management of the stakeholders became evident (Chapter 6). These insights were used to develop several models to visualize and explain the existing social and psychological bottlenecks preventing the islands from achieving successful sustainable fisheries management (Chapter 7). The complexity and interconnectedness of these bottlenecks resulted into a few key solutions, developed into a roadmap to achieve widely supported sustainable fisheries management (Chapter 8).

The table below presents an overview of the bottlenecks on various stakeholder levels, the corresponding consequences and recommendations on how to overcome these bottlenecks. The repetitiveness that occurs illustrates the interrelatedness and the complexity of the social aspects regarding fisheries management.

Ultimately all the bottlenecks presented in the table lead to the issues the primary stakeholders – in varying degrees – are concerned with to begin with: - Decline in biodiversity - Declining fish stocks - Declining coral reefs - Dying culture and profession - Decrease income of the fishers - No compliance to legislation - Unwillingness for behaviour change.

These issues are in turn closely related to each other. While it may seem a daunting task to resolve all the existing bottlenecks, this does not necessarily have to be the case as can be seen in the solutions presented. Stakeholder participation is a key element of successful fisheries management. Due to the complexity of fisheries management, there is not one optimal interaction approach: the initiators of, as well as participants in fisheries management processes should decide and negotiate on how much and what kind of interaction is necessary, appropriate and desirable. The responsibility for finding an appropriate degree of interaction lies with the initiator of fisheries management. Transparency about the chosen strategies (and limitations) to engage in the interaction processes is the key to reaching consensus about the degree of interaction. It is recommended that:

On all islands a fisheries cooperative must be established, by means of strong, continuous facilitation. This facilitation cannot be simply imposed on the fishermen, but must be wanted and accepted. 2. The fisheries departments of all public entities must be strengthened in terms of knowledge, urgency and capacity. 3. The urgency among both the local and national government to address and manage the fisheries sector must be enlarged through joint lobbying from NGO’s and fishers. 4. A systematic stakeholder analysis should be carried out to ensure representative involvement of those stakeholders relevant to the fisheries management question. Clear objectives for the participatory process need to be agreed among stakeholders at the outset. It should be made explicit who are considered stakeholders in the issue at hand, which of these groups can participate and in which form, and who decides on all of this, in short: who is the owner of the participatory process. 5. Where relevant stakeholders should be involved as early as possible and throughout the process. The different contexts of departure (i.e. the interests of the different stakeholders) must be shared at the beginning of a participatory process. 6. A transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder, long term, legally binding fisheries policy plan and management plan must be developed by a stakeholder-working group. The management plan should clearly define – in a legally binding way if possible – the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders in fisheries management. 7. To ensure participation continuity, transparency and clarity throughout the development of a fisheries policy and management plan a fisheries engagement officer must be installed. Preferably by the National (and local) government. However, to ensure the position of the fisheries engagement officer remains as neutral as possible, a joint funding construction could be created (e.g. the salary of this officer is jointly funded by the key fisheries stakeholders: national & local government, NGO’s and fisher representatives). A key prerequisite for a jointfunding construction is that clear and concrete agreements are made in advance among the stakeholders about the role, responsibilities, opportunities. Moreover, it should not be possible for the financing parties to (easily) deviate from or ignore these agreements. 8. A sustainable financial model must be developed for fisheries management for all three islands to prevent the sole reliance on perceived (political) urgency. 9. Throughout the development of the management and policy plan, pilot projects must be executed, the communities must be informed through public campaigns and the plans must be evaluated and adapted accordingly.

What this report illustrates, is that in fisheries management the focus must not lie solely on solving the final outcomes (i.e. decline in biodiversity, declining fish stocks, dying culture and profession etc.), but rather concentrate on the facets (i.e. bottlenecks) underlying the existence of these issues. In the case of fisheries management, this entails that a lot of focus and energy must be placed on guiding and improving the process of fisheries management.

For the special municipalities of the Netherlands, Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality is responsible for the proper management of fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) around the islands and, together with the island authorities is responsible for the proper management of fisheries in the territorial sea (TS). The Caribbean Netherlands, either as special municipalities of the Netherlands or through the Kingdom of the Netherlands, participate in- and cooperate with global and regional efforts for fisheries management through adherence to international instruments and participation in international bodies. By becoming a party to a legally binding instrument, that party is legally bound to the obligations therein. Currently, the Caribbean Netherlands – either as special municipality of the Netherlands or as part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has committed to the following instruments and international treaties with relevance to fisheries:

Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water, Cartagena Convention: Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol (SPAW) , Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); 1982 , The Migratory Shark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),  Inter-American Sea Turtle Convention (IAC) Caracas, Venezuela, December 1 1996., Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) , The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS),1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative (WHMSI), The Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC)

The need for better fisheries management Throughout the Caribbean, like in the rest of the world, the abundance of marine fish species have been declining over the past decades. The health and abundance of fish stocks depend not only on fishing pressure but also on the quality of the marine ecosystems. In the Caribbean Netherlands, coral reefs and the open ocean are the main ecosystems in which the species targeted by the fisheries sector occur. Coral reefs are marine biodiversity hotspots that are not only invaluable for coastal protection but also have a high economic value through associated fisheries and tourism. As healthy fish stocks are essential for the existence of fisheries, concentrating efforts towards more sustainable fishery practices, will not only benefit ecosystems, but also fishermen and other users that contribute to the local economy such as dive tourism. Hence, proper management of the fisheries sector is important for the existence of the profession and for ensuring food security, and also for other sectors which are vital to the economy of the islands. Moreover fisheries plays a very important role when it comes to culture and identity of inhabitants of the Caribbean. As a recreational activity it is a vital source of wellbeing. Hence, it is not only food and dollars that make fisheries an activity to manage well.

As opposed to historical fisheries management in the Caribbean Netherlands, sustainable fisheries management must be a joint effort by the local government, national government, nature NGOs, fishermen and buyers. In addition, adequate enforcement must be in place. Truly sustainable fisheries management requires an active and adaptive approach to the conservation of areas and species, a focus on communication, education and awareness, active research and monitoring, and interaction with stakeholders. Additionally, it requires an integrated approach to address serious anthropogenic threats such as pollution, the introduction of invasive species and climate change, as well as addressing the need for the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems (See Box 1).

Considering the aforementioned, a new and more effective fisheries management system is required in the Caribbean Netherlands. In light of this need, WWF-NL initiated a series of fisheries management oriented studies, including the a Social Mapping Study of the fisheries sector of the Caribbean Netherlands, called study ‘Mas Piska pa Boneiru’ (Mac Donald, 2019). The study was conducted to identify and come up with solutions for the social bottlenecks c in arena of fisheries management the Caribbean Netherlands. The study concluded that on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius there are many interlinked bottlenecks inhibiting effective management of the sector. The following bottlenecks were identified:

Urgency to manage fisheries is lower than the urgency to manage nature 2. Urgency to manage nature is lower than the urgency to invest in development 3. Nature NGO tend to have a negative reputation within community 4. There are no fisheries organizations / representatives 5. Fisheries legislation has gaps and is insufficient 6. Responsibilities for (daily) management are unclear 7. There is a lack of resources both in terms of budget & capacity 8. There is a lack of inclusion of fishers in the management process 9. No collective lobbying by fishers takes place 10. No structural investment in fisheries sector development are made 11. There exists no fisheries policy or management plan (no management goals) 12. There is insufficient enforcement of legislation taking place 13. (Perceived) Insufficient communication of legislation towards stakeholders, especially the fishers 14. There is no governance support from fishers

To overcome these management bottlenecks, a roadmap was developed based on insights and findings from the research. In addition to describing what the solutions entail, explaining which bottlenecks are tackled, the roadmap presents concrete steps on how each solution can be successfully implemented. For the creation of the roadmap, the principles of Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) and the co-management principles were used as a vantage point for developing concrete steps and guidelines in order to achieve effective, sustainable fisheries management on Bonaire, Saba and St. Eustatius. The (theoretical) background about and importance of EBM and the co-management principles can be read more in-depth in Appendix A.