SANCOR Newsletter Issue #172 March 2003

Worldwide, the focus of managing natural resources has shifted from a centralised, top-down, resource-based approach to a more holistic, ecosystems-orientated and people-centred approach. This has come about due to an improved understanding of the complex interactions and interdependencies that exist between natural and socio-economic systems. In the coastal and fisheries arena, ongoing overexploitation of fisheries resources, degradation of coastal areas and conflicts amongst coastal resource users have prompted calls for innovative and improved approaches to managing coastal and fisheries resources. One management approach, which is seen to offer possibilities and promise, is co-management. The term ‘co-management’refers to a paradigm shift in natural resource management that supports the participation of resource users in decision-making and management. Broadly speaking, co-management covers a variety of partnership arrangements between government, resource users and other stakeholders in which responsibilities and decision-making powers are shared in order to manage a resource.

 

In South Africa, 45 years of apartheid and 300 years of colonial rule left a legacy of inequality in resource management. However, the transition to a participatory democracy in 1994 has resulted in the start of a process of transformation of government institutions as well as radical legislative reform. In all sectors, including the management of coastal and fisheries resources, new policies and legislation have been introduced and alternative approaches to governance are being sought. At a policy level, new approaches that move away from a 'command-and-control' style of management to those which foster participation, co-operation and joint responsibility for national resource management are being advocated. Although the challenge now is to put policy into practice, important initiatives have already been identified in South Africa that are exploring and experimenting with the co-management of coastal and fisheries resources.

 

With sponsorship from WWF: The Green Trust, nine coastal and fisheries case studies were selected to provide insight on the status of co-management in South Africa. The case studies were documented by different researchers, most of whom were actively involved in research or facilitation activities associated with the cases. Based on this information, an analysis was undertaken to identify under what conditions co-management is likely to succeed, the range of outcomes associated with its implementation and the areas of greatest challenge. The aim of this research has been to provide guidance on the viability of implementing co-management in South Africa.

The results of this research have indicated that co-management arrangements have largely been implemented in South Africa as a result of perceived ‘crises’. These include the over-exploitation of resources, an increase in illegal activities, as well as other critical issues such as forced removals from land and growing tensions between conservation authorities and local communities. In addition, government departments are beginning to realise that they have limited capacity to manage resources and enforce regulations on our vast coastline, especially in remote areas.

 

Along various sections of our coast, a number of co-management arrangements are being explored and implemented. Objectives of these initiatives range from securing or improving access to resources, promoting economic development and upliftment, achieving biological sustainability and improving relationships between the authorities and resource users. Incentives to participate in co-management often vary between the partners, requiring commitment from all stakeholders to agree on objectives and goals.

Co-management in South Africa is still in its infancy and although the underlying principles and approaches are enshrined in policy and legislation, many of these principles, approaches and preconditions are not fully understood, espoused and institutionalised by government and/or user groups. There is an urgent need for government to develop a coherent policy framework that provides clear guidelines for planning, implementing and evaluating co-management processes and initiatives in order for co-management to be seriously considered as an alternative approach to fisheries and coastal management.

This review and analysis highlights some of the key conditions that are required for co-management to operate effectively and some of the existing obstacles to achieving success at a practical level. Further, the research has shown that initiating and implementing co-management-type arrangements does lead to a range of positive outcomes, which go beyond resource sustainability considerations. However, monitoring and evaluation processes need to be designed and implemented to provide improved understanding about the successes and limitations of co-management.

 

Although principles of co-management are largely supported by government officials, managers, researchers and users alike, there are concerns about the practical implications of implementing co-management. The possibility exists that co-management efforts may fail (or succeed) for reasons that have nothing to do with the model itself, but because of the way that it is being implemented. Instead of discarding co-management because of these uncertainties, particularly in a country such as South Africa in which co-management is still emerging, it is important to experiment. This would best be achieved in situations in which there are already 'key' conditions necessary for co-management to function efficiently. The identification and implementation of a suite of pilot projects that fulfil these basic conditions, is thus urgently needed. Government will need to lend its full support and commitment to these projects if useful results are to be achieved.

 

Furthermore, South Africa should not be afraid of learning from mistakes. Success is more likely to be achieved if stakeholders involved in these various co-management initiatives share experiences, learn from past mistakes and are willing to modify their management strategies and rules to suit changing circumstances and management capabilities. Genuine co-management is a time-consuming process that requires long-term government support and commitment, but ultimately should lead to management approaches that are more efficient, equitable, empowering and sustainable.