by Marvin Pamisa

World Bankโs Senior Environmental Economist Dr. Jingjie Chu urged the FMA Coordinating Unit 13 (Caraga) to show real impacts to open opportunities for additional funding as it continues the work in implementing the FishCoRe project for municipalities covered in the Butuan Bay stretch. This encouragement was made during the opening session of WBโs three-day Third Implementation Support Mission from October 7-9, 2024, in Butuan City.
Dr. Chu elaborated that the FishCoRe project should be able to showcase real impacts on beneficiariesโ lives based on the interventions that will be introduced especially among coastal communities. These tangible interventions will be specifically carried out under the projectโs Modern and Resilient Livelihood Investments (MARLIN)Component.
She added that the implementation โshould keep in mind how many people such as men, women, and youth will benefit from every single [project] proposal being prepared.โ
Part of being able to show real impacts from the ground, as Dr. Chu highlighted, is FCUsโ streamlining of processes to ensure that interventions are implemented promptly. Her encouragement is for FCUs to exercise flexibility to avoid delays in getting the job done.
In the said activity, Reynald Gimena, FCU 13โs Assistant Technical Coordinator provided an update on the status of FishCoRe Implementation. He also discussed the challenges they have faced and their proposed actions in addressing them.
Taking advantage of the World Bank Mission Teamโs presence, Gimena sought clarification on the options for alternative livelihoods that will be awarded to target fisherfolk beneficiaries.
Dr. Chu clarified that alternative livelihood interventions should encourage beneficiaries to shift away from fishing-related activities. This aligns with FishCoReโs goals under its Component 1 on Climate Resilient Resource Management, which calls for the development of fisheries management plans. These plans may involve reducing fishing days to allow fish stocks to recover, making it essential to provide alternative livelihoods for affected fisherfolk. (๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐๐ฎ//๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐๐ผ๐ฅ๐ฒ)




