When I first arrived in Prek Svay the Conservation and Community Program team were preparing their 2013 work plans. The continuation of initiatives already running as well as the addition of a few new ideas was being put forward as a way to proceed. Through the interview process I asked each of the Conservation and Community team what they would like to see included in the future. Some of the ideas put forward clearly aligned with what the community said they thought was important to the future of their community, for example, strengthening education.
“For the future, education is one of my dreams, to have it be strengthened. And for women, the human resource of women, to train the ladies skills so they can have jobs. Teenager also, to train skills for them to have jobs in the future…it is because I love the education, I love the future of the children. It is really from my heart because when I grow I know about the situation like that. When I was a kid it was very difficult for me to study so I know. I start to have compassion and I have a vision for them to help them to grow.”
Samay, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Program
Education initiatives were predominantly focused on conservation and there was a plan to expand the education program to include adult education and new topics.
“This year I have one more education, adult education workshop, where I will also include climate change, wildlife conservation, forest degradation, waste management, sustainable fishing and marine resource management in there. Not focused only on children but on all people. Also I would like to see animal husbandry like pig raising and chicken raising in there, and also look for some opportunity to set up marine aquaculture.”
Nisay, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Program
Alignment was also found in the desire to strengthen law enforcement in the community fishery area. The Conservation and Community team saw this as being achievable through the marine management area extension. As stated above, this new marine management area has since been implemented.
“That is taking a small 5ha no take marine reserve and adding a much larger area which is going to be a fisheries managed area, so that is the aim of the project at the moment. I am working very closely with Nisay, our Community Engagement Officer, to coordinate with the local community so that this extension is not just a Song Saa initiative, it is working with the local community so they are signing it off, so they’ll agree with the rules, they are enforcing it. We are just trying to assist with building capacity, building capacity in the community about how fisheries areas can be managed. The local community has a lot of knowledge about the local fishery and the fishing area, where we have the management skills, so it is about teaching them the management process as we go through it with them so hopefully in the future they will understand how things can be done.”
Luke, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Program
The Conservation and Community team were already supporting the local patrol team with financial and physical resources, and plans were in place to increase this when the marine management extension came into play.
“At the moment we give this gesture of 60 litres of fuel a month and we are going to increase that to 180, we are going to pay five guys 50 US dollars a month each, and then $50 to the community of fisheries as well for their own things…In return we are asking for them to patrol the area, they have said about three hours a day, patrolling. Enforcing the rules that we have worked on together and working with the local community, educational workshops. Just patrolling the area and enforcing the rules.”
Luke, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Initiative
This first quote from Luke above touches on the mutual benefits that working together can provide. He recognises that the community holds a lot of knowledge in regards to the local fisheries and surrounding area, and that the Conservation and Community team have management skills that they could impart to the local community. The sharing of information, skills, and resources could
potentially be beneficial to both parties. It was expressed throughout the interview process that there could be great benefits in different parties working together.
“One way to stop this big boat is to involve everyone, the Navy, the Administration of Fishery from the mainland, we need to work together, and then we will have power.”
Sov, Male 31-50, Village Leader
This sentiment was shared by Jordon of the Conservation and Community Program who recognised that a more co-ordinated approach to marine law enforcement was needed in the community fishery area.
“Cambodians do have a healthy respect, although some may say fear of authority. So if you did actually get either the Police or the Navy or a combination of the Police and the Navy and the Fisheries Administration and the locals any kind of combination of those people to do any kind of patrols then I think that you would have a very big and positive impact and be able to catch a few people and the word would then spread that people are actually caring and starting to enforce the laws and people would be very reluctant again through the dislike of confrontation, other people would then stop breaking the laws as well as they would not want to get caught so. I think that there needs to be some co- ordination and some good management incentives for the people doing the enforcement to actually do the enforcement, I think that that is what is missing at the moment.”
Jordon, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Program
Not only could collaboration be useful in law enforcement it, it could also prove advantageous in promoting multi-level linkages and network building. The Conservation and Community team had already been working with a large number of outside organisations, including international universities, for profit and not for profit organisations both in Cambodia and abroad, government departments and the Royal Group. This network, if the community can tap into it, could prove extremely valuable in the future, not only for the flow of resources, but also for the flow of information.
6.7
Chapter summary
This chapter has discussed how very few village respondents had any knowledge of the Conservation and Community Program but rather associated the work being carried out in the village with one key individual. When discussing community engagement with the members of the Conservation and Community Program it quickly became evident that participation sat at the informing level of IAP2 public participation spectrum (see table 2.1, page 25). There was a belief among the Conservation
and Community team that in the early stages of the Program, this had been the best approach. It was evident that the relationship between the Conservation and Community team and the local people would be instrumental in the overall effectiveness of the Program and that this would require commitment from both sides.
The community exhibited an appreciation for the arrival of Song Saa and they understood the benefits of implementing conservation initiatives. In a workshop held by Mr Nisay, members of the Community of Fisheries expressed that they would like to start working with a number of other stakeholders in the area. They expressed the belief that by doing so they could strengthen law enforcement and marine protection in their fishing grounds. Members of the Conservation and Community Program also felt that marine protection and greater enforcement was necessary if the local fisheries are to be sustained. The opportunity for partnership springs from common ground such as this. As the results chapters come to a close, it is evident that for the relationship between the Conservation and Community Program to be useful in enhancing adaptive capacity in Prek Svay, a strategic approach is required. This includes a need for dialogue and deliberation between the two parties that establishes clear objectives and targets.