Knowledge and Behavior Needed to Survive in Open-Access Seas: A Case Study of Small-Scale Fishermen on Mactan Island, the Philippines

Abstract

"Although sea of the Philippines where is a target area of this presentation is a commons zone, it becomes an open access zone anyone can access due to rapid population growth, poverty, and delay of law service. Degradation of maritime resources and environment occurs there by human population pressure and illegal fishing such as blast fishing and fishing using cyanide. This paper firstly shows fishing activities and socio-economic condition of locale small-scale fishermen in Mactan Island, The Visayan region in the Philippines and investigates a livelihood of local small-scale fishermen, and their resources and environment falls into negative spiral because commons zone changes open access zone by human activity. No restriction to conserve maritime resources and environment and massive human impacts to disturb environment and to over-use of maritime resources can not stop. Secondly, it reports that policy of local administration to calm a condition of open access zone makes open access zone more severe condition (ex. no patrol, no environmental education, establishment of national park to enclose the space to run local small-scale fishermen off from the environment. The fishermen eagerly seek another fishing ground and same phenomenon on maritime resources and environment occurs). Finally, adapting strategy (division of fishing ground and method according to their specialty) based on knowledge and behavior of the locale small-scale fishermen living under open access zone is examined and pose a potential of open access zone in commons study, evaluating open access zone that situates negatively against commons zone. Philippines is a important area to study no commons zone equal to open access zone. To investigate a condition in Philippines, we can learn how commons zone is created or not, and why open access zone emerged and how to solve it. This paper also approaches these issues."