THE CHALLENGES OF THE AGRARIAN TRANSITION IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ChATSEA ChATSEA Working Papers Working Paper no. 13, November 2010 Aquaculture for Rural Development: An Asymmetrical Initiative by Evangeline O. Katigbak ISSN 1919‐0581 ISSN 1919‐0581 © November 2010 Published by the Canada Research Chair in Asian Studies – Université de Montréal 3744 Jean‐Brillant, office 420, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3T 1P1 ChATSEA The Challenges of the Agrarian Transition in Southeast Asia Project (ChATSEA) is spon‐ sored under the Major Collaborative Research Initiatives of the Social Sciences and Hu‐ manities Research Council of Canada. With its primary focus on Southeast Asia Region, the Project seeks innovative understandings of the agrarian transition understood as the multiple, uneven, and reversible pathways and processes through which agrarian rela‐ tions are transformed. Key processes being studied include agricultural intensification and expansion; commodification; peri/urbanization, industrialization, human mobilities, intensification of regulation; ecological change; agrarian social movements; and the re‐ making of agrarian wealth and poverty. The Project involves an interdisciplinary team from Canada, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Australia. It is directed by Professor Rodolphe De Koninck, Canada Research Chair in Asian Studies, Université de Montreal, Canada. It runs from 2005 to 2011. For more information: http://www.caac.umontreal.ca/en/chatsea_intro.html ChATSEA Working Papers The ChATSEA Working Paper Series is intended to present empirical findings from origi‐ nal research concerning the agrarian transition, with an emphasis on contemporary con‐ text. The Series includes work done by faculty and graduate students sponsored by or af‐ filiated with ChATSEA, and by other scholars who are not affiliated but whose research concerns similar themes. Working Papers should speak directly to the question of agrarian transition in Southeast Asia. It may approach the topic through a focus on one or more of the constituent proc‐ esses of the agrarian transition, identified as: 1) agricultural intensification and territorial expansion; 2) increasing integration of production into market‐based system of exchange; 3) accelerating processes of urbanization and industrialization; 4) heightened mobility of populations both within and across national borders; 5) intensification of regulation, as new forms of private, state and supra‐state power are developed and formalized to gov‐ ern agricultural production and exchange relationship; 6) processes of environmental change that modify the relationship between society and nature to reflect new human im‐ pacts and new valuations of resources. Working Papers are sent out for anonymous review by scholars in the field. The maxi‐ mum length for a Working Paper is 8000 words. Please submit papers, or abstracts of planned papers, to the managing editor by email. The managing editor of the series is To Xuan Phuc, PhD. Email address pto@forest‐trends.org. Members of the editorial board are Keith Barney, Philip Kelly, PhD, Tania Li, PhD, To Xuan Phuc, PhD, and Peter Vandergeest, PhD. ChATSEA Working Papers Working Paper no. 1, The Retreat of Agricultural Lands in Leblond, Jean‐Philippe Dec. 2008 Thailand Working Paper no. 2, Cultivating Alternative Livelihoods Hill, Kathryn Jan. 2009 Strategies and Gender Identities in Naga City, Philippines Working Paper no. 3, Of Rice and Spice: Hmong Livelihoods Tugault‐Lafleur, Claire Jan. 2009 and Diversification in the Northern Viet‐ and Sarah Turner nam Uplands Working Paper no. 4, Ethnic Politics, Migrant Labour and Latt, Sai S.W. Feb. 2009 Agrarian Transformation: A Case Study of the Hmong and Shan in a Royal Project in Northern Thailand Working Paper no. 5, Marketing Strategies and Community Wyatt, Brett June 2009 Culture: Certified vegetable farming and consumer markets in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand Working Paper no. 6, Agrarian Transitions in Sarawak: Cramb, Rob A. June 2009 Intensification and Expansion Reconsid‐ ered Working Paper no. 7, Agrarian Transition in Northern Thailand Bruneau, Michel June 2009 (1966‐2006): from Peri‐urban to Mountain Margins Working Paper no. 8, Population Displacement and Forest Leblond, Jean‐Philippe March 2010 Management in Thailand Working Paper no. 9, Agrarian Class Formation in Upland Li, Tania Murray March 2010 Sulawesi, 1990‐2010 Working Paper no. 10, Contested Upland Landscapes: the Mean‐ Rakyutidharm, May 2010 ings of Feed corn and Upland Farmer Atchara Identities Working Paper no. 11, Paddy Crop Transition after 31 Years of Ahmad, Raiha October 2010 Green Revolution: Restudy on Farmersʹ Communities in Northern Peninsular Ma‐ laysia Working Paper no. 12, Intertwined lives: household dependence Salamanca, Albert M October 2010 and the livelihood strategies of morning glory (Ipomoea aquatica Forskal) producers in desakota areas in mainland Southeast Asia Working Paper no. 13, Aquaculture for Rural Development: Katigbak, November 2010 An Asymmetrical Initiative Evangeline O. AQUACULTURE FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT: AN ASYMMETRICAL INITIATIVE Evangeline O. Katigbak MSc Geography [email protected] Department of Geography, University of the Philippines‐Diliman, Faculty Center 3055 Diliman, Quezon City, 1101, Republic of the Philippines Acknowledgements I am grateful to the reviewers of the initial draft of my paper for their comments and suggestions. I would also like to thank my colleagues from the Department of Geography at the University of the Philippines‐Diliman, especially my thesis adviser Dr. Doracie Zoleta‐Nantes, for their valuable insights and assistance that they extended to me while working on this research. Many thanks are also due to the wonderful people from my research site who shared their ideas, thoughts and time to accomplish this study. Lastly, I acknowledge the research program The Challenges of the Agrarian Transition in Southeast Asia (ChATSEA) for funding this project. Abstract The aquaculture sector in the Philippines has seen tremendous growth over the last three decades. Its growth is largely supported by both national and various local government units as aquaculture is seen to support food security programs in the country’s drive towards economic development. This is in response to food security challenges at the present and in the future, and also because growth in the sector is seen to increase export gains in the country. This study provides an analysis on how aquacul‐ ture development, which has largely been driven by the international demands for seafood, has im‐ pacted the livelihoods of coastal dwellers in the Philippines. The study captures local communities’ responses to this initiative as seen in the experiences of the people of Infanta, Quezon. It details the assertion of local peoples of their rights over mangrove areas, which are common property resource, against more economically and politically powerful fishpond developers who are not from the mu‐ nicipality. The study hopes to add further to the understanding of how conversion of mangrove areas to fishponds is transforming livelihoods and identities of peoples in the local communities. This re‐ search employs political ecology in locating the ecological transformations and the consequent changes in livelihoods and identities of the local population in Infanta. Keywords aquaculture, mangrove conversions, fishponds, rural development. 2 Introduction ties respond to aquaculture as a rural develop‐ ment strategy that facilitates the encroachment An increasing number of the world’s popu‐ of intensive fishery production sites onto public lation is relying on fishery related activities, lands, particularly mangrove areas, in terms of particularly aquaculture, for income and nutri‐ transformations in their livelihoods and identi‐ tion (World Bank, 2006). Aquaculture is seen as ties. It situates the experiences of local residents an effective development strategy that would on the use of aquaculture as a rural development alleviate poverty in the rural areas by provid‐ strategy and the negotiations that the local peo‐ ing the rural population with a more stable ple take vis‐à‐vis the processes that lead to eco‐ employment and income. The Asian Develop‐ logical transformations in their community. It ment Bank’s (ADB, 2005) case studies on aqua‐ focuses on how the operation and expansion of culture in Bangladesh, Philippines and Thai‐ fishponds affect and configure changes in the land indicated that fish farming and freshwater local community members’ livelihood strategies, aquaculture generate self‐employment oppor‐ identities and environment. Development tunities in the rural areas, as well as diverse strategies such as the conversion of mangrove livelihood opportunities for fishpond opera‐ areas to aquaculture ponds that are aimed at tors, and employees in seed nurseries and marking the Philippines’ position in the global hatcheries, and seed and fish traders. The pres‐ economic arena have overlapped with the daily ence of such economic activities also provides negotiations of identities, politics and economies part‐time employment such as pond construc‐ of individuals, households and local communi‐ tion and repairs and fish harvesting for the lo‐ ties. This study also aims to understand how cal population (ADB, 2005). However, aquacul‐ global market forces, as incorporated into the ture has also brought about disadvantages to Philippine government’s program on develop‐ the rural population. Cases in many countries, ment, influence the