not necessarily imply reducing dependence on natural resources, as the diversified activities may also depend on coastal resources.
The adoption of alternative livelihoods means stopping what you are currently doing and moving to a new profession. In the West Sumatran context
this may be coupled with migration merantau to a new area, typically by young men. Indeed, geographical migration is a livelihood strategy that can apply
anywhere on the continuum of Figure 2.2. Allison and Ellis 2001 argue that occupational diversity increases
resilience of coastal communities and encouraging diversity rather than specialisation is what is needed. They suggest that one focus of future fisheries
management should be to understand the obstacles to the further development of occupational diversity. Pido et al. 1997 also apply principles from a technique
used in other contexts to coastal communities in the form of Rapid Appraisal of Fisheries Management Systems RAFMS. They, along with Allison and Ellis
2001 and Johannes 1998, recognise the inherent complexity of biological systems and use this tool to identify the formal and informal institutions that
manage fisheries. Testing the approach in both the Philippines and Indonesia demonstrated that in less than a week researchers familiar with the technique,
coupled with field staff, could capture traditional ecological knowledge and generate an understanding of fisheries management that could contribute towards
future policy making. Both the analysis of Allison and Ellis 2001 and Pido et al. 1997 recognise that fishing is just one aspect of the coastal economy and that if
the goal is improving standard of living, researchers and development workers need to look wider than the fisheries sector alone.
2.3.3 Behaviour of Fishers
Several authors Pollnac et al., 2001, Teh et al., 2008, Crawford 2002 tackled the assumption that given the opportunity to move to an equally well paid
profession fishers would switch. In Hong Kong up to 75 were willing to leave but the alternative livelihood options within the marine sector were very limited
Teh et al., 2008. Studies in Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines Pollnac et al.,
2001, Crawford 2002 looked at the same issue and found that job satisfaction amongst many tradition fishers was high. For example 88 of fishers in Maluku,
Indonesia would choose to do fishing again if they lived their life over Pollnac et al.,
2001. Interestingly, when they widened the question to include future generations only 9 of those satisfied fishers would choose for their children to
become fishers. The majority 61 would choose a government job presumably because of the stability and benefits that would bring. Many studies tackle the
issue from the perspective of a declining fishery and a desire to offer incentives to fishers to leave the fishery to take the pressure off natural resources. Crawford
2002 found that using alternative livelihood projects to reduce fishing pressure may not succeed in the long term. Boom and bust cycles coupled with
immigration of migrant workers during profitable seasons meant that fishers would return to fishing in lean years. This observation supports Cunningham’s
1993 model in which labour mobility leads to a wage equilibrium. Both Crawford 2002 and Pollnac et al. 2001 argue that livelihood diversification
may be a better policy objective than reducing fishing pressure. Cinner et al. 2009 emphasise that understanding the social context is crucial in order that
policy objectives target the right groups. Their study of fishers’ willingness to leave a declining fishery in East Africa showed that wealthy fishers with existing
occupational multiplicity were amongst the first to leave while those that stayed fishing were the poorest families caught in a poverty trap without the capacity to
change. A common technique advocated in poverty alleviation is the use of micro- credit initiatives but Crawford’s 2007 study of the village bank in Thailand
indicates that just 4 of loans were used to start new businesses. Part of this is because starting new businesses is inherently more risky than augmenting
currently operating ones. However, the implication of his study is that micro- credit may not encourage fishers to diversify or exit the industry. In summary,
policies designed to change behaviour and move fishers away from unsustainable fishing need to take account of the social context if they are to be successful in
meeting their objectives.
2.3.4 Aquaculture – Farming the Reef
