Study on CTI-CFF Cites Important Gains

Bolstered by an emerging regional identity, the CTI-CFF member countries are making tangible progress toward long-term coastal and marine management goals, as well as the policy and management practices needed to halt and reverse destructive trends that have led to—and threaten further—fisheries and marine habitat collapse in the Coral Triangle.

This is the overall finding of a study conducted last year by researchers from the University of Washington. Focusing primarily on US Government support to CTI-CFF under the US CTI Support Program (US CTI), the study assessed stakeholder perceptions of the effectiveness of CTI-CFF as a multilateral organization and the impacts of ongoing national and local efforts to address coral reef, fisheries, and climate issues affecting the region.

“Surveys and interviews of thousands of informants from various levels of society clearly demonstrate that the US CTI program has had a significant positive impact in the CT region. Progress was made in terms of both process and outcome—essential ingredients for sustained environmental management programs,” the researchers state in their Final Report: Lessons from the US Coral Triangle Initiative Support Program.

The report notes “modest indications” of positive changes in social and ecological conditions in project sites, with significant advances in planning and implementation of marine protected areas (MPAs), ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM), and climate change adaptation.

The most notable progress appears to be in MPAs. “While MPA enforcement remains inconsistent, national informants reported dramatic improvements in the last five years—a likely indication that CTI-CFF and US CTI are having a positive impact,” the report says. About 85% of national respondents observed improvements in MPA enforcement, and respondents in project sites with MPAs reported significant improvements in fish abundance, coral health, and mangrove health during the period.

Increased EAFM awareness is also notable among national and regional respondents, with 94% saying CTI-CFF improved their understanding of ecosystem approaches to fisheries management. Moreover, in project sites, resource users reported a noticeable decline in illegal and destructive fishing in the last five years.

The report highlights the creation of learning networks at various levels within the region as a major achievement. “Social network analysis and key informant interviews clearly document the progress toward and value of the regional and in-country networks fostered by REXs (regional exchanges) and other means,” the report notes.

These social networks have fostered mentoring relationships that empower women in CTI-CFF countries. One informant is quoted as saying, “Our NCC is more than 60% women, which influences the perspectives of men in society. They will always laugh at us because they say we’ll run logistics, but at the end of the day, we’ll be there debating issues of national importance.”

The REXs are also credited with improving respondents’ capacities and exposing them to previously overlooked national issues. The majority of respondents (74%) said the REXs influenced and enabled them to take action in their respective countries.

Indications are unequivocal that CTI-CFF is perceived as highly important in the region, with 94% of respondents regarding it as “significant” or “very significant.” On the whole, the report identifies an emerging regional identity for Coral Triangle countries, with 95% of national and regional respondents saying CTI-CFF and US CTI helped create “a sense of belonging to the Coral Triangle region.” Improved communication between countries on issues such as climate change contributes to this identity, with one informant noting that having “something regional that everybody participates in,” along with shared data, “binds people together.”

In addition to supporting the establishment in 2014 of a Regional Secretariat that is “highly skilled and effective,” the report recommends “the implementation of tangible policies on regional problems such as climate change, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, or unsustainable trade [to] cement and validate the creation of the CTI-CFF and its regional approach to ocean governance.”