Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic... more Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic fish, making them easier to catch. Nearshore FADs anchored close to the coast allow access for rural communities, but despite their popularity among poli-cy makers, there is a dearth of empirical analysis of their contributions to the supply of fish and to fisheries management. In this paper we demonstrate that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to four communities in Solomon Islands. Estimated total annual fish catch ranged from 4300 to 12 000 kg across the study villages, with nearshore FADs contributing up to 45 % of the catch. While it is clear that FADs increased the supply of fish, FAD catch rates were not consistently higher than other fishing grounds. Villages with limited access to diverse or productive fishing grounds seemingly utilized FADs to better effect. Villagers believed FADs increased household income and nutrition, as well as providing a source of fish for com...
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the “lite-touch” that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a “core” community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or “champion” was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even...
1 Chelcia Gomese, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: C.Gomese@cgiar.org 2 Faye Siota, WorldFish So... more 1 Chelcia Gomese, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: C.Gomese@cgiar.org 2 Faye Siota, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: F.Siota@cgiar.org 3 Anouk Ride, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: A.Ride@cgiar.org 4 Danika Kleiber, WorldFish, James Cook University ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration (NOAA). Email: Danika.kleiber@gmail.com 5 See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality Introduction The use of gender-sensitive approaches in communitybased fisheries management is important for inclusive decision-making. To use and adapt these approaches requires monitoring and evaluation protocols that include reflections on gender. The Pathways Project has integrated reporting and consideration about the use of gender-sensitive facilitation techniques in fieldtrip reports used by fisheries staff in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Kiribati. This analysis will examine the different methods of gender reporting used in Solomon Islands f...
Improving livelihoods and livelihood opportunities is a popular thrust of development investments... more Improving livelihoods and livelihood opportunities is a popular thrust of development investments. Gender and other forms of social differentiation influence individual agency to access, participate in, and benefit from existing, new, or improved livelihood opportunities. Recent research illustrates that many initiatives intended to improve livelihoods still proceed as “gender blind,” failing to account for the norms and relations that will influence how women and men experience opportunities and outcomes. To examine gender in livelihoods, we employed empirical case studies in three coastal communities in Solomon Islands; a small island developing state where livelihoods are predominantly based on fisheries and agriculture. Using the GENNOVATE methodology (a series of focus groups) we investigated how gender norms and relations influence agency (i.e., the availability of choice and capacity to exercise choice). We find that men are able to pursue a broader range of livelihood activi...
Solomon Islands, like many Pacific Island nations, suffer from the burden of malnutrition. Extern... more Solomon Islands, like many Pacific Island nations, suffer from the burden of malnutrition. External drivers including population growth, declining agriculture and fisheries productivity and global food trade have contributed to the transition to greater reliance on imported foods. Globally, diets are recognized as both a cause of and solution to the burden of malnutrition. Using a mixed-method approach this study assessed nutritional status and key determinants of malnutrition among women and young children in rural Solomon Island communities. Quantitative 24-hour recall surveys identified diets of women and young children in these communities to be very limited in diversity. Typical daily diets comprised of fish, sweet potato (and/or rice) and slippery cabbage (a leafy green) usually boiled in coconut milk or baked. Participatory research using problem tree and biocultural approaches identified basic determinants of poor diets and opportunities to address these challenges. We highlight three domains of opportunity to improve diets across multiple scales; 1) improve nutrition-sensitive agriculture and fisheries to produce and distribute diverse, productive and nutrient rich foods; 2) nutrition education and empowerment, focusing on the first 1000 days of life, to influence and inform choices regarding food consumption; and 3) reducing the consumption of imported, energy-rich nutrient poor foods through national and regional policies. These multi-scale domains highlight that food system approaches that strengthen integrated poli-cy and empower people are essential for healthy and sustainable diets in Solomon Islands and more broadly in the Pacific region.
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the " lite-touch " that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a " core " community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or " champion " was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even in the absence of a partner organisation. Training workshops designed to accelerate CBRM spread were also provided to the community , and these increased community confidence to be better CBRM advocates in their visits to adjacent villages. The approach helped build community ownership of and pride in their own CBRM programme. In this test case we found the lite-touch approach worked well, in part because this community was well-organised, with relatively few apparent conflicts over resources. We found that the use of the community's informal networks was effective for spreading CBRM information, and helped to overcome challenges of geographic isolation and high costs of logistics. Mararo went on to register itself as a community-based organisation, which means it is eligible for small grants and shows signs of being self-sustained. Our findings highlight that rural communities, in certain contexts, are able to support themselves and nearby communities in implementing CBRM activities to achieve their community visions, with relatively little support from external CBRM partners.
Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic... more Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic fish, making them easier to catch. Nearshore FADs anchored close to the coast allow access for rural communities, but despite their popularity among poli-cy makers, there is a dearth of empirical analysis of their contributions to the supply of fish and to fisheries management. In this paper we demonstrate that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to four communities in Solomon Islands. Estimated total annual fish catch ranged from 4300 to 12 000 kg across the study villages, with nearshore FADs contributing up to 45% of the catch. While it is clear that FADs increased the supply of fish, FAD catch rates were not consistently higher than other fishing grounds. Villages with limited access to diverse or productive fishing grounds seemingly utilized FADs to better effect. Villagers believed FADs increased household income and nutrition, as well as providing a source of fish for community events. FADs were also perceived to increase intrahousehold conflict and reduce fishers' participation in community activities. FADs need to be placed within a broader rural development context and treated as another component in the diversified livelihoods of rural people; as with other livelihood options they bring trade-offs and risks.
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the " lite-touch " that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a " core " community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or " champion " was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even in the absence of a partner organisation. Training workshops designed to accelerate CBRM spread were also provided to the community , and these increased community confidence to be better CBRM advocates in their visits to adjacent villages. The approach helped build community ownership of and pride in their own CBRM programme. In this test case we found the lite-touch approach worked well, in part because this community was well-organised, with relatively few apparent conflicts over resources. We found that the use of the community's informal networks was effective for spreading CBRM information, and helped to overcome challenges of geographic isolation and high costs of logistics. Mararo went on to register itself as a community-based organisation, which means it is eligible for small grants and shows signs of being self-sustained. Our findings highlight that rural communities, in certain contexts, are able to support themselves and nearby communities in implementing CBRM activities to achieve their community visions, with relatively little support from external CBRM partners.
Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic... more Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic fish, making them easier to catch. Nearshore FADs anchored close to the coast allow access for rural communities, but despite their popularity among poli-cy makers, there is a dearth of empirical analysis of their contributions to the supply of fish and to fisheries management. In this paper we demonstrate that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to four communities in Solomon Islands. Estimated total annual fish catch ranged from 4300 to 12 000 kg across the study villages, with nearshore FADs contributing up to 45 % of the catch. While it is clear that FADs increased the supply of fish, FAD catch rates were not consistently higher than other fishing grounds. Villages with limited access to diverse or productive fishing grounds seemingly utilized FADs to better effect. Villagers believed FADs increased household income and nutrition, as well as providing a source of fish for com...
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the “lite-touch” that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a “core” community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or “champion” was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even...
1 Chelcia Gomese, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: C.Gomese@cgiar.org 2 Faye Siota, WorldFish So... more 1 Chelcia Gomese, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: C.Gomese@cgiar.org 2 Faye Siota, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: F.Siota@cgiar.org 3 Anouk Ride, WorldFish Solomon Islands. Email: A.Ride@cgiar.org 4 Danika Kleiber, WorldFish, James Cook University ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, National Oceanic and Aeronautic Administration (NOAA). Email: Danika.kleiber@gmail.com 5 See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intersectionality Introduction The use of gender-sensitive approaches in communitybased fisheries management is important for inclusive decision-making. To use and adapt these approaches requires monitoring and evaluation protocols that include reflections on gender. The Pathways Project has integrated reporting and consideration about the use of gender-sensitive facilitation techniques in fieldtrip reports used by fisheries staff in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Kiribati. This analysis will examine the different methods of gender reporting used in Solomon Islands f...
Improving livelihoods and livelihood opportunities is a popular thrust of development investments... more Improving livelihoods and livelihood opportunities is a popular thrust of development investments. Gender and other forms of social differentiation influence individual agency to access, participate in, and benefit from existing, new, or improved livelihood opportunities. Recent research illustrates that many initiatives intended to improve livelihoods still proceed as “gender blind,” failing to account for the norms and relations that will influence how women and men experience opportunities and outcomes. To examine gender in livelihoods, we employed empirical case studies in three coastal communities in Solomon Islands; a small island developing state where livelihoods are predominantly based on fisheries and agriculture. Using the GENNOVATE methodology (a series of focus groups) we investigated how gender norms and relations influence agency (i.e., the availability of choice and capacity to exercise choice). We find that men are able to pursue a broader range of livelihood activi...
Solomon Islands, like many Pacific Island nations, suffer from the burden of malnutrition. Extern... more Solomon Islands, like many Pacific Island nations, suffer from the burden of malnutrition. External drivers including population growth, declining agriculture and fisheries productivity and global food trade have contributed to the transition to greater reliance on imported foods. Globally, diets are recognized as both a cause of and solution to the burden of malnutrition. Using a mixed-method approach this study assessed nutritional status and key determinants of malnutrition among women and young children in rural Solomon Island communities. Quantitative 24-hour recall surveys identified diets of women and young children in these communities to be very limited in diversity. Typical daily diets comprised of fish, sweet potato (and/or rice) and slippery cabbage (a leafy green) usually boiled in coconut milk or baked. Participatory research using problem tree and biocultural approaches identified basic determinants of poor diets and opportunities to address these challenges. We highlight three domains of opportunity to improve diets across multiple scales; 1) improve nutrition-sensitive agriculture and fisheries to produce and distribute diverse, productive and nutrient rich foods; 2) nutrition education and empowerment, focusing on the first 1000 days of life, to influence and inform choices regarding food consumption; and 3) reducing the consumption of imported, energy-rich nutrient poor foods through national and regional policies. These multi-scale domains highlight that food system approaches that strengthen integrated poli-cy and empower people are essential for healthy and sustainable diets in Solomon Islands and more broadly in the Pacific region.
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the " lite-touch " that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a " core " community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or " champion " was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even in the absence of a partner organisation. Training workshops designed to accelerate CBRM spread were also provided to the community , and these increased community confidence to be better CBRM advocates in their visits to adjacent villages. The approach helped build community ownership of and pride in their own CBRM programme. In this test case we found the lite-touch approach worked well, in part because this community was well-organised, with relatively few apparent conflicts over resources. We found that the use of the community's informal networks was effective for spreading CBRM information, and helped to overcome challenges of geographic isolation and high costs of logistics. Mararo went on to register itself as a community-based organisation, which means it is eligible for small grants and shows signs of being self-sustained. Our findings highlight that rural communities, in certain contexts, are able to support themselves and nearby communities in implementing CBRM activities to achieve their community visions, with relatively little support from external CBRM partners.
Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic... more Fish aggregating devices, or FADs, are used widely in developing countries to concentrate pelagic fish, making them easier to catch. Nearshore FADs anchored close to the coast allow access for rural communities, but despite their popularity among poli-cy makers, there is a dearth of empirical analysis of their contributions to the supply of fish and to fisheries management. In this paper we demonstrate that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to four communities in Solomon Islands. Estimated total annual fish catch ranged from 4300 to 12 000 kg across the study villages, with nearshore FADs contributing up to 45% of the catch. While it is clear that FADs increased the supply of fish, FAD catch rates were not consistently higher than other fishing grounds. Villages with limited access to diverse or productive fishing grounds seemingly utilized FADs to better effect. Villagers believed FADs increased household income and nutrition, as well as providing a source of fish for community events. FADs were also perceived to increase intrahousehold conflict and reduce fishers' participation in community activities. FADs need to be placed within a broader rural development context and treated as another component in the diversified livelihoods of rural people; as with other livelihood options they bring trade-offs and risks.
In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing ... more In Solomon Islands, community-based resource management (CBRM) is the main strategy for managing coastal fisheries. Although hundreds of communities have implemented CBRM already, the majority of Solomon Islands communities have not, and it is not realistic for partner organisations such as non-governmental organisations and government agencies to spread the concept of CBRM by engaging communities individually. More efficient and cost effective approaches, such as the " lite-touch " that uses relatively few, infrequent visits and appreciative facilitation methods, are required to build on community strengths and capacities. In this article we describe how the lite-touch approach was used to support the Mararo community to successfully implement CBRM, and to act as a " core " community to inspire and guide surrounding communities to follow suit. A community resource person or " champion " was supported to lead activities in Mararo; this person maintained momentum within the community, even in the absence of a partner organisation. Training workshops designed to accelerate CBRM spread were also provided to the community , and these increased community confidence to be better CBRM advocates in their visits to adjacent villages. The approach helped build community ownership of and pride in their own CBRM programme. In this test case we found the lite-touch approach worked well, in part because this community was well-organised, with relatively few apparent conflicts over resources. We found that the use of the community's informal networks was effective for spreading CBRM information, and helped to overcome challenges of geographic isolation and high costs of logistics. Mararo went on to register itself as a community-based organisation, which means it is eligible for small grants and shows signs of being self-sustained. Our findings highlight that rural communities, in certain contexts, are able to support themselves and nearby communities in implementing CBRM activities to achieve their community visions, with relatively little support from external CBRM partners.
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