Conflict over corals – how do different uses affect local people in the Philippines?

The use of resources in marine protected areas, such as coral reefs, often leads to conflict. Tourists and the tourism industry, conservation organisations and local communities all have different needs and interests. Understanding the costs and benefits of conservation and tourism to local populations is vital for the management of marine protected areas.

Coral reefs are one of the most threatened ecosystems in theworld; 58 percent of reefs worldwide are threatened by human activity. Resourceuse conflicts are common, due to competing environmental, social, economic andpolitical interests.

Research in the Mabini and Tingloyareas of the Philippines shows that unequal power relations are one of the maincauses of conflicts between different coral reef user groups. For example,local subsistence fisher people have little power; they also suffer most fromtourism and conservation activities, which are commonly more powerful groups.

Other research findings include:

• Manydisagreements between tourism organisations, the government, local communitiesand conservation organisations are about how to divide the funds generatedfrom tourism.
• Specificgroups of local people have negative perceptions of conservation activities,leading to low levels of local participation. For conservation to succeed,however, local participation is essential.
• Conflictsbetween conservation organisations and local communities are most commonwhere conservation is seen as restricting access to resources, for examplefisher people being unable to fish in protected waters.
• Mosttourism-related conflicts are due to disagreements over protected areamanagement, resource ownership and user rights. They also relate to thelack of benefits for local people, as most tourism revenues are collectedby business owners who are often from outside the local community.

Conflicts can be reduced if protected areas generate enoughfunds through tourist revenues for management and maintenance. Conflicts can befurther reduced if tourism and conservation provide long term and fairly paidemployment for local people.

For sustained successful conservation, all local groups mustsee the benefits of conservation and have a reason to become involved inconservation activities. The researcher suggests several policy lessons; these relatedirectly to Mabini and Tingloy,but the wider implications can be transferred to other areas experiencing conflictsover resource use:

• Toavoid conflict, protected areas should pay for themselves though incomegeneration, or through donor funding. Revenues generated from tourism havethe potential to fund conservation efforts, for example diving fees.
• Conservationstrategies can restrict local people’s income generation and access tonatural resources; locals should receive compensation for any losses they experience.
• Forconservation efforts to succeed, it is important to demonstrate that conservationcan benefit local communities.
• Protectedarea management and user rights must be clear, and conservation rules mustbe enforced equally and consistently to avoid inequalities and resentmentamongst certain groups.
• Asfisher people feel most disadvantaged by tourism and conservation inMabini and Tingloy, policymakers must identify strategies that increasetheir benefits in particular, and encourage their greater participation inconservation activities.