Circular dichroism studies of the phospho-(Y)-mimetic CaM mutants

Coastal communities will derive substantial benefits from coastal law enforcement when municipalities and cities apply a balanced program of soft and hard coastal law enforcement approaches (Table 30). Both soft and hard coastal law enforcement approaches are necessary to promote voluntary compliance and maintain deterrents. CRM plans and programs of coastal LGUs must be designed to establish a rational, transparent, and equitable system of sustainable coastal resource use that fosters voluntary compliance. Municipal water use zones are established, regulatory measures for sustainable fisheries are regularly applied, and the basis for all actions is legitimized through local ordinances. Coastal law enforcement cannot operate independently of this system.

Coastal LGUs must also continuously apply hard coastal law enforcement strategies to deter violators and to promote compliance with national and local laws and regulations as a

fundamental requirement for achieving economic development and social and environmental health and welfare for the whole community. Conversely, the behavior of a relatively small proportion of the community that does not comply with these laws and regulations should be associated with stealing or depriving benefits from and hurting the rest of the community. The experience of the municipality of Talibon in Northern Bohol, Central Visayas, is one of the growing number of examples of coastal law enforcement initiatives by a municipality where soft and hard coastal law enforcement approaches are used to improve local governance, the condition of coastal resources, and ultimately the health and welfare of the entire community.

Table 30. Benefits of coastal law enforcement.

Municipality with coastal law enforcement Municipality without coastal law enforcement

Š High fish catch for a limited period of time due to the use of illegal fishing methods

Š Small and cheap “trash fish” sold in markets for food and animal feed which are products of illegal trawls and fine-mesh nets

Š Decline and eventual collapse of fisheries over the medium and long term due to overexploitation of fish stocks and habitat destruction

Š Selected few individuals benefit (financiers and owners of illegal fishing gears) from coastal resources by overfishing stocks and destroying habitats

Š Sustainable fishing methods cannot be used

Š Prevalence of other coastal-related crimes

Š Many illegal intrusions of commercial fishing fleet in municipal waters

Š Increase in drug-related and firearms related crimes

Š Food security threatened

Š Decrease in economic development opportunities where LGU is viewed as a poor investment due to eroded resource base, poor governance,

corruption, and high incidence of crime

Š Initial decrease in availability of locally caught fish when illegal and highly efficient fishing methods are stopped

Š Increase in quality and quantity of fish catch in the near term that can be sustained over the medium and long term

Š Small-scale fishers benefit with good fish catch that can be sustained

Š Sustainable hook and line fishing methods can be used by small-scale fisher

Š Decrease in piracy and drug-related and firearms-related crimes

Š Increase in health and well being of the community and huge financial benefits for the whole town accrue through fishing communities due to increased production ability of the fisheries and habitat

Š Other CRM-related activities such as livelihood programs, marine protected areas, fisheries management strategies (closed seasons), mangrove rehabilitation have much higher success rates and are more implementable

Š Other law enforcement-related activities are much easier to implement and people are less likely to have other coastal-related offences such as illegal fishpond expansion, mangrove cutting, and illegal developments in the foreshore areas

Š Increase in opportunities for economic development where LGU is viewed as a sound investment marked by good governance, healthy resources, and low incidence of crime

Coastal law enforcement experience of the municipality of Talibon, Bohol

Illegal fishing was considered the norm in Talibon. In 1996, newly elected Mayor Juanario Item communicated his vision of a law-abiding municipality in each coastal barangay. During the barangay meetings, he told fishers that in three months time he would fully implement the coastal laws in the municipality and strongly suggested that those who were still practicing illegal fishing should stop and purchase new fishing gears while they still could.

Through a Sangguniang Bayan ordinance the LGU gave incentives to deputized fish wardens of 30 percent of any fines from the arrest of boats, an honorarium of 1,000 pesos per month, free rice, coffee, and other expenses, raincoats, and full uniform. The fish wardens were equipped with patrol boats, fuel, and other operating expenses. The local PNP built up their own coastal law enforcement units to stop encroachment of illegal fishers so they could share in the 30 percent incentive. Continuous IEC, workshops, and trainings are conducted throughout the year to promote voluntary compliance. The municipality budgets about 350,000 pesos for patrolling and fish wardens alone, but the benefits far outweigh the costs.

The LGU has made over 1.5 million pesos from fines of illegal fishers since they began. Confiscated boats and paraphernalia are impounded and turned over to the court. As of the end of year 2000, they have won 297 cases out of 298 cases filed since Mayor Item began his campaign.

Many fishers were angry about the coastal law enforcement program of the municipality. Family and children of arrested illegal fishers flocked to the municipal hall requesting the release of their husbands, citing poverty and inability to survive without illegal fishing. The municipality stayed strong in its conviction for a law-abiding municipality and gave no concessions.

Now, there are few illegal fishers and financiers left in the municipality, less than 5 percent of the total number of fishers are illegal fishers, a decrease from 50 percent of the total number of fishers in 1996. With the decrease in illegal and destructive fishing methods, hook and line fishing has become lucrative again.

Hook and line fishing can now yield 5 to 6 kilograms in a few hours at night compared with the times before when 1 kilogram of catch was considered lucky (Kagawad Jose Wayne Evardo, S.B. Talibon, pers. comm.)

The lessons learned from the coastal law enforcement experience of Talibon include:

Š Communicating a common vision of a law abiding municipality from the local mayor;

Š Need to have one rule for everyone and be firm in that rule;

Š Need for accountability and credibility of leaders to model the way for law-abiding communities;

Š Enforcement must be short, sharp, and painful;

Š Sustaining constant IEC throughout the process explaining and advertising the benefits of implementing fisheries laws while at the same time developing other CRM implementation programs (such as MPAs and enterprise development which complement law enforcement);

Š Initially investing heavily in coastal law enforcement so that later, benefits and economic rewards are realized;

Š Committing fully and completely to the job of coastal law enforcement that initially requires a lot of effort and patrolling but later less effort once everyone knows and understands the rules and sees the benefits; and

Š Having a good team of committed individuals (fish wardens) from the municipality with equipment, operational expenses, and financial incentives.

Coastal law enforcement efforts must be able to survive beyond the proponents' political term of office.