Impact Assessment of the Integrated Coastal Resource Management on the Livelihood of Small-scale Fishers in Cuatro Islas, Leyte

Aside from environmental goals, the project on coastal resource management aims to promote local economic development through improvement in the socio-economic outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of coastal resource management (CRM) implemented by the Visayas State university (VSU) from 2015 to 2017 in the Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape and Seascape (CIPLS). A quasi-experimental approach was used to evaluate impact of CRM on fish catch, income, and livelihood diversity by comparing the outcomes between project beneficiaries (CIPLS fishers) and non-beneficiaries (Pitogo fishers). Using KOBOCollect, 450 fishers were surveyed (CIPLS=200, Pitogo=250). Descriptive statistics show that most fishers are men, married, and with at least elementary level of education. On average, fishers are 45 years old with four household members and have an average monthly income of PHP 4,581.73. The majority of CIPLS fishers performed solo fishing. Mann-Whitney U test shows a significant difference in travel time, fishing hours, fishing revenue, fishing variable cost, and fishing gross income between CIPLS and Pitogo fishers. The analysis using propensity score matching (PSM) suggests CRM contributed to the increase in fish catch by 2.395kg a day, monthly income by PHP 1,595.50, and livelihood diversity by 0.275 among CIPLS fishers. This study recommended that CRM can be adopted in other coastal areas as a potential strategy to enhance the socio-economic status of the fishers and their families.