Tuesday May 7, 2024
IUCN —
In 2021, a survey by Fauna & Flora International (FFI) identified key spawning grounds in the Sittaung that should be protected to boost fish stocks. Through an FPIC approach, IUCN and the Myanmar Coastal Conservation Lab (MCCL), a local youth conservation group, organized consultations in 12 villages in 2023 and early 2024 to identify sites with the local interest, leadership, and social cohesion needed to establish community managed fish conservation zones (FCZs).
A potential FCZ was located next to the Sittaung Bridge (Thein Za Yat) in Waw Township, Bago Region, is 300 m wide. It lies in the village tract of Ta Naw Kyun, which consists of three villages, Ta Naw Kyun, Moe Gyoe Gone and Kyauk Nyat, where most of the households are highly dependent on fishing.
During the consultations, local fishers expressed their interest in establishing an FCZ. Rather than a seasonal closure, they strongly preferred a strict no-take FCZ that allows them to continue fishing outside the FCZ. A Local Fisher Group (LFG) was formed with 57 members to establish a 10-hectare FCZ. A 7-member management committee was formed to develop a management plan and lead the application process.