Addressing gaps in socio-economic and natural assets to halt marine turtle egg poaching: A livelihood feasibility study in the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary, Philippines

Abstract

Straddling the border between the Philippines and Malaysia, the Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) forms part of the largest green turtle nesting ground in ASEAN. Due to various identified vulnerabilities, such as increasing population trends and the remote geographical location, the Turtle Islands municipality is highly susceptible to external shocks. To increase its resiliency, livelihood interventions took place in the islands in the late 1990s and early 2000s, however, none of these were sustainable in the long-term. The lack of means is often compensated for by the illegal harvest of marine turtle eggs, a practice prohibited under the Philippine Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act. This paper analyses the current status of socio-economic and natural assets in the TIWS and identifies sustainable livelihood interventions to close gaps in basic services in the long-term and wean people away from marine turtle egg poaching. The Sustainable Livelihood Approach Framework was selected as the basis for assessments of existing Assets, the Vulnerability Context, Structures, Processes, and Livelihood Strategies. By drawing on rare empirical data from local communities in the TIWS, the study also provides unique insights into current practices of illegal wildlife trade as a result of livelihood constraints and a lack of enforcement. In total, 87 respondents were interviewed between November 2018 and June 2019, rating the Assets with 43% for Human Capital, 49% for Natural Capital, 19% for Financial Capital, 49% for Physical Capital, and 46% for Social Capital for the entirety of TIWS, with 100% signifying complete availability and access to these assets. However, these values differed significantly among the islands. On average, Taganak Island displayed the strongest and Lihiman Island the weakest conditions. The widest gaps were identified for Financial Capital. Current livelihood strategies identified were fishing and small-scale trade, with a high potential for eco-tourism as an alternative livelihood, as the year-round nesting of green turtles makes the TIWS a prime turtle watching site. The results of the Anonymous Survey revealed that the illegal turtle egg trade is still on-going, driven by poverty. Numerous recommendations were given per Asset on how to close identified gaps in basic services in the long-term, of which many have great potential to be turned into livelihoods. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable livelihood development in combination with marine turtle conservation and combating illegal wildlife trade, and serves the replication of the assessment in similar remote archipelagic settings in the future.