Integrating sandfish ('H.scabra') aquaculture development with the social-ecological system of an artisanal fishery in Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Sea cucumber fisheries have been globally exploited to the point where they can no longer recover within acceptable timeframes. A consequence of which has seen many countries imposing a total ban on their harvest; with potential implications in terms of livelihood security for those coastal and island communities that rely on them as a source of income. In Papua New Guinea (PNG) for example, a moratorium was put in place in 2009 and this is currently still in place. The farming of sandfish ('Holothuria scabra'), which are a high value species of sea cucumber, has emerged as a viable livelihood alternative; not only in terms of contributing to food security outcomes, but also from the perspective of being a complementary tool for the management of biodiversity conservation. Sandfish aquaculture is conducted on sea grass meadows as this is their preferred habitat. In addition, sandfish aquaculture generally consists of two types of production systems. Firstly, a sea farming approach utilising individually owned sea pens can be adopted. Secondly, a sea ranching approach in unenclosed areas with community access rights can be adopted. A precursor to both production systems however, is the requirement that they be integrated with the social-ecological system of the proposed fishery. If, as is the case in many artisanal fisheries, monitoring and enforcement capacity is weak then it is preferable for the introduction of farming to be aligned with customary marine tenure arrangements; which is a popular strategy within the decentralisation paradigm of contemporary fisheries management. This thesis supports the current literature on the benefits of utilising customary marine tenure arrangements within adaptive ecosystem based management strategies; with findings identifying a number of implications of, and for, customary marine tenure in PNG. Findings of the thesis also question the level of importance attributed to the contribution of sea cucumbers, to household fishing income. The major conclusions of this thesis however, contribute to the rapidly emerging frontier of gender research in aquaculture and fisheries economics; with findings initiating an important conversation on gendered seascape use and its implications for farm production systems.