A seahorse lies hidden in a haul off the coast of Shandong province

How can informal protected areas help China achieve biodiversity goals?

CHINA
Tuesday, October 11, 2022, 06:50 (GMT + 9)

The following is an excerpt from an article published by China Dialogue Ocean:

Conservation approaches other than official marine protected areas are not yet getting the attention they deserve

The township of Langya, near Qingdao, lies beside a species rich part of the Yellow Sea. This area is home to the Japanese seahorse and other rare and protected animals like the narrow-ridged finless porpoise.

The Japanese seahorse is a small yellow-brown creature that can easily go unnoticed in a haul of fish. It lives in shallow water coral reefs and seagrass meadows and is threatened by bottom trawling and habitat loss. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists it as vulnerable. “Initially, the IUCN experts didn’t believe there were still seahorses living there,” said local fisher Liu Shujie. “They were shocked to see a fishing net bring 138 up in only 10 minutes.”

Fisher Liu Shujie set up the Blue Bay Centre to protect the species-rich waters his community have benefitted from for generations (Image: Qingdao Marine Conservation Society)

It was not until 2021 that China gave Class II protections to all of the 14 species of seahorses living in its waters. When this particular habitat was identified by IUCN seahorse experts in 2017, no special protections were put in place. Liu took the lead and, in 2019, formed a conservation group with other fishers called the Blue Bay Centre. Together, they protect the area by patrolling in their boats.

If the group’s conservation work is successful and meets the Convention on Biological Diversity’s definition of Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM), it could count towards the target of having 30% of the world’s land and ocean area protected by 2030. There are hopes that agreement will be reached on this “Thirty by Thirty” target at the CBD talks later this year. However, China has no system for identifying or managing OECMs. There is much work to be done before the country can confirm if and where OECM definitions are being met.

Community-protected areas, at sea

The fishers of the Blue Bay Centre come from a village with a long tradition of fishing. Skills are passed down from generation to generation, and the villagers feel a strong bond with the ocean. Liu Shujie, meanwhile, is a persuasive man. When he heard of fishers overseas getting involved in conservation he leaned on his popularity and authority, and some help from a charity, to get the local fishers organised.

The captains of over 20 small vessels have joined his team of “blue bay guardians”. They have no law-enforcement powers, but the local marine development bureau has empowered them to dissuade offenders and make reports. The participants take time out from their working day to patrol the area they protect and try to persuade vessels to leave if they employ destructive techniques like bottom trawling. They also report any instances of waste dumping or other harmful actions.

Blue Bay Guardians: receive the support of the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao West Coast New District Blue Bay Ecological Service Centre

The patrols and publicity work the group carries out make local fishers aware of the importance of protecting seahorses – in stark contrast to the practice of catching and even openly selling seahorses seen elsewhere. Liu says a case involving a seahorse stall at the nearby Rizhao market saw over 20 fishers arrested.

Liu Yi, national coordinator with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said: “As we see the fishers of Langya are enthusiastic about protecting the area, we are supporting them to enhance local capacities, build a sense of pride and recognition for conservation work among fishers, and preserve resources for future generations through charitable projects. We also encourage them to communicate and cooperate with the local authorities and win government recognition.”

In contrast to officially established protected areas, Liu says the community-protected areas the UNDP hopes to encourage fishers to create “aren’t necessarily sealed off and can still be used sustainably, without affecting the traditional fishing practice in the area.” With UNDP support, the Qingdao Marine Conservation Society is helping empower groups like the Blue Bay Centre. (continues...)

Author / Source: Zhou Chen / China Dialogue Ocean | Read the full article by clicking the link here

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