Comprehensive Action Plans of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

A Priority Seascape of the Coral Triangle Initiative

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• Publisher: Asian Development Bank
• Print ISBN: 9789292570651
• eBook ISBN: 9789290924654
• Topic: Sciences biologiques
• Subtopic: Conservation et Protection de l'Envronnement

The Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME), as the apex of the Coral Triangle, is considered the center of the center of marine biodiversity where the highest number of colorful reef and marine fishes, various sizes of corals and shells, myriad shapes of algae, and protective mangrove forests are found. The SSME's marine aquarium is not only a delightful lure for tourists but is also the source of food and a natural capital for livelihoods among coastal communities. To address threats to SSME's diversity and productivity, an ecoregion conservation plan was forged collaboratively by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines in 2004. As the management framework to address threats to its diversity and productivity, the SSME Ecoregion Conservation Plan has spurred the development of three comprehensive action plans for 2010-2012. These plans are implemented by the subcommittees on Migratory and Threatened Species, Marine Protected Areas and Networks, and Sustainable Fisheries, and guided by the SSME's Tri-National Committee. This publication includes business plans and cost estimates to implement the three action plans---providing useful guide on costs and activities for governments, prospective donors, and investors; valuable information from cost-benefit analyses; and lessons learned from past conservation efforts.

Volume 1

Subcommittee on Threatened, Charismatic, and Migratory Species

Volume 2

Subcommittee on Marine Protected Areas and Networks

The Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion

The Sulu Sea and Sulawesi Sea are twin seas formed by the movement of submarine plates from the northern and southern hemispheres of the earth. The plates brought with them numerous species. Some of these species thrived in the warm seas and survived, while others evolved with the lowering and rising of the marine waters (Carpenter and Springer 2005).

The Sulu–Sulawesi Seas cover about 1 million square kilometers. The area is considered as the global center of tropical marine diversity, supporting the highest number of species of coral reef fishes, demersal fishes, turtles, and algae (DeVantier et al. 2004). The mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and coastal and offshore waters are the most species-rich in the tropics.

The bounty of these seas provides food and livelihood to about 40 million people living along the coastline of Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion. There are many threats, however, that undermine the food security and livelihoods of these people. Overfishing reduces the populations of fishes, mollusks, and sea cucumbers to unproductive levels. Destructive fishing practices destroy coral reefs as habitats and kill all fishes, young and old. Organic pollution and sediment runoff from land slowly cover seagrass beds and coral reefs. More frequent and intense storms bring more freshwater to coastal waters, drastically lowering their salinity and killing organisms with low tolerance to changes in salinity. These storms also cause rivers to swell and carry organic substances and sediments to sea, increasing the stress to seagrass beds and coral reefs.

The Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Comprehensive Action Plan

The governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding to conserve the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion (SSME) during the Seventh Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Kuala Lumpur in 2004. The Ecoregion Conservation Plan was ratified by the three countries in 2006. The countries subsequently established the Tri-National Committee and three subcommittees to implement the three programs of work as follows:

• Threatened, Charismatic, and Endangered Species;

• Sustainable Fisheries; and

• Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Networks.

In 2009, the Action Plan of the Subcommittee on MPAs and Networks was published, which contained its goals, objectives, strategies and actions, the achievements and lessons learned in the past 3 years of country-wide implementation, and a historical account of its drafting. This version transforms the previous action plan into a comprehensive action plan with the following features:

1. The vision, mission, goals, objectives, and actions are summarized in a logical framework for the three subcommittees of the SSME. The vision of each subcommittee action plan remains the same, and is also termed as the set of long-term goals of the SSME. These are then translated into five target conservation outcomes. Three of these represent the overall outcomes of the three subcommittee action plans while the two additional cross-cutting outcomes refer to SSME’s contribution to the Coral Triangle Initiative and climate change adaptation. The last two outcomes reflect updates on recent events that are highly relevant to SSME conservation and management.

2. The conservation outcomes are then translated into shorter-term purpose statements, which reflect the objectives of the previous action plans. These purpose statements are then broken down into strategies or key result areas, which are further broken down into a set of activities. The previous list of objectives, strategies, programs, and activities were harmonized across the three subcommittee action plans, so that each level is consistent across subcommittees. In some cases, purpose statements and strategies were added to complete the logical framework, while some of the objectives were merged for consistency. All previous activities were included in the comprehensive action plans, while new ones were added to serve the two new conservation outcomes.

3. Indicators are provided at the level of short-term purpose statements. These can serve as the basis for developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Comprehensive Action Plan.

4.Estimated costs are provided for the implementation of the strategies or key result areas. Cost estimates resulted from a series of workshops held in each of the three SSME countries during the third quarter of 2010.

5.A list of potential revenue-generating mechanisms is provided, along with an overview of how each country has implemented or sees the potential of implementing these mechanisms (Appendix 1).

6.The brief description of the Tri-National Committee of the SSME was taken from the previous action plan. There were no changes in the structure of the Tri-National Committee and its subcommittees, and the functions and responsibilities in implementing the SSME comprehensive action plans remain the same.

7.Lessons learned in the previous action plans are adopted for the implementation of the comprehensive action plans as they remain highly relevant in achieving this document’s objectives.

Logical Framework of the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Comprehensive Action Plan

Table 1.1 Logical Framework of the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Comprehensive Action Plan

Logical Framework
Long-Term Goal Statement	Targeted Conservation Outcomes
A marine ecoregion that remains globally unique and a center of diversity with vibrant ecological integrity, including all species assemblages, communities, habitats, and ecological processes A highly productive ecoregion that sustainably and equitably provides for the socioeconomic and cultural needs of the human communities dependent on it An ecoregion where biodiversity and productivity are sustained through generations by participatory and collaborative management across all political and cultural boundaries	1	Sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, living aquatic resources use and livelihood systems in the SSME
	2	Conserved and sustainably managed biodiversity in the SSME
	3	Protected and managed threatened, charismatic and migratory species and their habitats in order to maintain the full range of biodiversity and provide for the long-term socioeconomic and cultural needs of human communities in the SSME
	4	A model in seascape planning and implementation contributing to the Coral Triangle Initiative
	5	Resilient habitats and communities adapting to the adverse effects of climate change

SSME = Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.

Source: Tri-National Committee of the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.

Table 1.2 Logical Framework of the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion Comprehensive Action Plan: Marine Protected Areas and Networks

Purpose (Short-Term Goal)		Indicators
Support the effective management of existing and new MPAs and networks, maintain the full range of sustainable marine resources, and provide for the long-term socioeconomic and cultural needs of human communities in the SSME.		1	Policy review and development promote effective MPA and MPA network management, including sustainable financing options.
		2	Research studies provide scientific basis for the management of existing MPAs and networks and establishment of new MPAs and networks.
		3	Effective collaboration between and among national and regional institutions on the establishment and management of MPAs and networks.
Strategies or Key Result Areas		Activities
1	Formulate policies, plans, and programs supporting the establishment and management of MPAs and networks.	1.1	Review policies at the national level, provide inputs and policy recommendations to policy makers and share documents regarding existing policies among member countries for review and possible harmonization.
		1.2	Revisit, update, and improve the framework for establishing MPAs and networks in the SSME.
		1.3	Create a regional-level task force if needed.
		1.4	Develop and pilot sustainable financing mechanisms for the MPAs and networks within the SSME.
2	Develop and implement nesting habitats and management programs to maximize hatchling production and survival.	2.1	Identify and/or profile lessons learned and best practices on MPA-related themes to contribute to recommendations for parallel programs, such as enforcement, sustainable financing options, community-based resource management, and collaborative arrangements.
		2.2	Capacitate the secretariats with facilities, manpower, logistics, and expertise by linking with existing centers of excellence on coastal resource management.
		2.3	Publish the Subcommittee Action Plan to include best practices, lessons learned, and accomplishments of the subcommittee.
		2.4	Develop an awards and incentive mechanism or program for outstanding MPAs and networks.
		2.5	Establish alternative livelihoods that are capable of weaning people away from unsustainable resource extraction and ensuring ecosystem integrity.
3	Undertake research and studies on the MPAs, caves, and wetlands, to enhance the understanding of their importance and the factors affecting them, as a basis for technical advice and recommendations for management and policy development.	3.1	Develop a program on connectivity-related research, such as larval dispersal, genetics, spawning aggregation, and migratory pattern of straddling stocks.
		3.2	Conduct census, update database and map of MPAs in the SSME to include biophysical and socioeconomic data, collect significant research results, and share protocols of MPA monitoring and evaluation.
		3.3	Collaborate with research institutions and other related organizations.
4	Provide recommendations for collaborative arrangements and parallel programs to be undertaken by the member countries, whether bilaterally or individually, on the establishment and management of MPAs and networks.	4.1	Identify sites to demonstrate possible collaborative arrangements, such as joint assessment of some MPAs or key candidate areas for MPA or marine-managed area.
		4.2	Conduct parallel programs, such as monitoring using the MPA Effectiveness Assessment Tool and joint targeted research on corals or turtles.
		4.3	Collaborate on the establishment of joint management areas in marine corridors for migratory species, such as turtles and marine mammals.
		4.4	Develop joint enforcement plan...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Message from Indonesia, Chair of the Subcommittee on Threatened, Charismatic, and Migratory Species
• Message from Malaysia, Chair of the Subcommittee on Sustainable Fisheries
• Message from the Philippines, Chair of the Subcommittee on Marine Protected Areas and Networks
• Acknowledgment
• Abbreviations
• Introduction
• Methods
• Key Issues and Concerns
• Outputs
• Comprehensive Action Plans of the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
• Back Cover