Evaluation of the Perceived Socio-Economic and Biophysical benefits of the Dive Fee User Fee System at Mabini, Batangas.

Abstract

Market-based instruments, such as the collection of conservation fees, have been implemented to support and sustain coastal resources management activities. Market-based instruments put a value or price to a benefit derived from an environmental service or resource and in the case of Mabini, Batangas, it places a value to the aesthetic beauty provided by the coral ecosystems to divers. The collection of conversation fee or dive fee in Mabini was developed to be a revenue generating activity employed by the municipality to continuously fund local coastal resources management activities which include the management and conservation of its three fish sanctuaries. The study seeks to evaluate if the community (particularly residents of Barangay Bagalangit and San Teodoro) perceives that the implementation of the conservation fee or Dive Fee User Fees System has indeed supported the existence of the marine sanctuaries in Mabini, Batangas. The main objective of the study is to evaluate the perception of the community on the effectiveness of the conservation fee in supporting the management, protection and conservation of Mabini's marine sanctuaries. Specifically, the following study would like to discover (1) community perception on its effect on tourism; (2) community perception on economic effect on fishermen, boatmen and resort owners; (3) community perception on bio-physical effect on corals; (4) effect of the policy on the protection and conservation of coastal resources; and, (5) strategies for an effective economic instrument for conservation of resources. The result of the study revealed that the overall community has low perception on the effectiveness of the dive fee system on tourism, income and coral health. However, when the response of each particular sector was solicited, the perception of its effectiveness was high. The fishermen recognized that there was an increase in the number of fish caught. The boatmen through membership to a group were benefited by the rebate system of the dive fee system. Tourism on the other hand, also improved since the number of guests in resorts increased. Strategies for the effective implementation of user fee include the establishment of a system that has clear goals, objectives and clearly defined roles; local support and commitment to implement the dive fee system for funding of coastal resources management activities is also needed; the involvement of community members in its implementation; setting up an effective IEC campaign; and transparency in the use of funds.