Trash or Treasure? A Qualitative Exploration of Gleaning By-Products in Tourism Supply Chains in Remote Filipino Fishing Communities

Brooke Porter; Mark B. Orams; Michaek  Lück; Enrico Maria Andreini

doi:10.14764/10.ASEAS-0056

Authors

Brooke Porter Auckland University of Technology
Mark B. Orams Auckland University of Technology
Michaek Lück Auckland University of Technology
Enrico Maria Andreini Legacoop Agroalimentare

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14764/10.ASEAS-0056

Keywords:

souvenir, gleaning, supplemental livelihoods, shell handicrafts, tourism development

Abstract

Souvenirs have become an integral part of consumptive tourism with marine curios being a common offering in coastal destinations. The Philippines, an emerging coastal destination is also a large exporter of marine shells. There is some overlap in the species exported as shell souvenirs and those that serve as an important protein source for coastal residents. In some such communities, following consumption of the mollusc, the shell by-products are discarded. Given the state of poverty common to many remote artisanal fishing communities coupled with the tourism demand for shell curio and handicraft, it is expected that potential opportunities exist for small-scale revenue generation from the sale of discarded shells. Using supply chain theory, this paper investigates the post-consumption use of shells obtained via gleaning activities in four remote Filipino fishing communities. Qualitative interviews revealed potential gaps and breakages in the supply chain that currently limit the potential for transitioning shells as waste/by-products to souvenir products in the tourism sector. The findings are discussed in terms of potential applications for environmental management and social development. The results suggest the potential for the transformation of an existing practice – gleaning and its by-products – into an in-demand curio product as a supplemental livelihood for impoverished fishing communities.

Author Biographies

Brooke Porter, Auckland University of Technology

Brooke Porter is a specialist in conservation strategy with a focus on the human dimensions of management. She currently works with UNFAO as an instructional designer developing content supporting environmental management strategies in lesser-developed regions. Brooke has worked in various capacities with NGOs, international aid agencies, and educational institutions across the globe.

Mark B. Orams, Auckland University of Technology

Professor Mark B. Orams is a researcher with a focus on marine recreation, tourism, and sport. He is currently the Dean of the Graduate Research School at the Auckland University of Technology in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Michaek Lück, Auckland University of Technology

Michael Lück is a professor in the School of Hospitality and Tourism at Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. He is founding co-chair of the International Coastal & Marine Tourism Society. His research interests include (marine) wildlife tourism, the cruise industry, ecotourism, interpretation and education on wildlife tours, the impacts of tourism, and aviation. He has published in a number of international journals, is founding editor of the academic journal Tourism in Marine Environments, Associate Editor of the Journal of Ecotourism, and editorial board member of Marine Policy and Frontiers.

Enrico Maria Andreini, Legacoop Agroalimentare

Enrico Andreini is an international expert in fisheries development and seafood supply chains. Enrico currently works with LegaCoop managing a fisheries development project in the Mediterranean. He has worked on fisheries development projects across the globe, focusing on the complexities in fisheries management and the importance of community voices in the development and design of fisheries projects.

References

Appukuttan, K. K., & Ramadoss, K. (2000). Edible and ornamental gastropod resources. In V. N. Pillai & N. G. Menon (Eds.), Marine fisheries research and management (pp. 525-535). Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

Bacchetta, M., Ernst, E., & Bustamante, J. P. (2009). Globalization and informal jobs in developing countries: International Labour Organization and the World Trade Organization. WTO Secretariat.

Belton, B., & Thilsted, S. H. (2014). Fisheries in transition: Food and nutrition security. Global Food Security, 3(1), 59-66.

Bunce, L., Townsley, P., Pomeroy, R., & Pollnac, R. (2000). Socioeconomic manual for coral reef management. https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2000-086.pdf

Castro, J., & D’Agnes, L. (2008). Fishing for families: Reproductive health and integrated coastal management in the Philippines. https://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/ECSP_Focus_Apr08Castro.pdf

Cater, C., & Cater, E. (2007). Marine ecotourism: Between the devil and the deep blue sea. CAB International.

Chorn, B., Sisco, C., & Pruzan-Jorgensen, P. M. (2015). Supply chain sustainability – a practical guide for continuous improvement. United Nations Global Compact & BSR.

Chutia, L. J., & Sarma, M. K. (2016). Commercialization of traditional crafts of South and South East Asia: A conceptual model based on review of literature. IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, 5(2), 107-119.

Decrop, A., & Masset, J. (2014). “This is a piece of coral received from captain Bob”: Meanings and functions of tourist souvenirs. International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, 8(1), 22-34.

Dias, T. L., Leo Neto, N. A., & Alves, R. R. (2011). Molluscs in the marine curio and souvenir trade in NE Brazil: Species composition and implications for their conservation and management. Biodiversity and Conservation, 20(11), 2393-2405.

Dolorosa, R. G., & Dangan-Galon, F. (2014). Species richness of bivalves and gastropods in Iwahig River-Estuary, Palawan, the Philippines. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, 2(1), 207-215.

FAO. (2018). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2018: Meeting the sustainable development goals. UN, New York. https://doi.org/10.18356/8d6ea4b6-en

Floren, A. S.. (2003). The Philippine shell industry with special focus on Mactan, Cebu. https://www.oneocean.org/download/db_files/philippine_shell_industry.pdf

Gössling, S., Kunkel, T., Schumacher, K., & Zilger, M. (2004). Use of molluscs, fish, and other marine taxa by tourism in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Biodiversity & Conservation, 13(14), 2623-2639.

Grafton, R. Q., Kirkley, J., Kompas, T., & Squires, D. (2006). Economics for fisheries management. Ashgate.

Green, S. J., White, A. T., Flores, J. O., Carreon III, M. F., & Sia, A. E. (2003). Philippine fisheries in crisis: A framework for management. Coastal Resources Management Project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Cebu City, Philippines. https://oneocean.org/download/db_files/philippines_fisheries_in_crisis.pdf

Grey, M., Blais, A.-M., & Vincent, A. C. (2005). Magnitude and trends of marine fish curio imports to the USA. Oryx, 39(4), 413-420.

Haldrup, M. (2017). Souvenirs: Magical objects in everyday life. Emotion, Space and Society, 22, 52-60.

Holt, D., & Littlewood, D. (2014). The informal economy as a route to market in sub-Saharan Africa – observations amongst Kenyan informal economy entrepreneurs. In S. Nwanko & K. Ibeh (Eds.), The Routledge companion to business in Africa (pp. 198-217). Routledge.

Kenchington, R. (1993). Tourism in coastal and marine environments – a recreational perspective. Ocean & Coastal Management, 19(1), 1-16.

Kleiber, D., Harris, L. M., & Vincent, A. C. (2014). Gender and small‐scale fisheries: A case for counting women and beyond. Fish and Fisheries, 16(4), 547-562.

Knudsen, M. (2016). Poverty and beyond: Small-scale fishing in overexploited marine environments. Human Ecology, 44(3), 341-352.

Kowalewski, M., Domènech, R., & Martinell, J. (2014). Vanishing clams on an Iberian beach: Local consequences and global implications of accelerating loss of shells to tourism. PLoS ONE, 9(1), e83615.

Linnekin, J. (1997). Consuming cultures: Tourism and the commoditization of cultural identity in the island Pacific. In M. Picard & R. E. Wood (Eds.), Tourism, ethnicity, and the state in Asian and Pacific societies (pp. 215-250). University of Hawai’i Press.

Newton, L. C., Parkes, E. V. H., & Thompson, R. C. (1993). The effects of shell collecting on the abundance of gastropods on Tanzanian shores. Biological Conservation, 63(3), 241-245.

Nieves, P. M., de Jesus, S. C., Nieves, J. R., & Macale, A. M. B. (2015). Assessment of the fishery for macro-invertebrates gleaning in Lagonoy Gulf: Catanduanes side. Bicol University R&D Journal, 18(1), 1-16.

Nijman, V., Spaan, D., & Nekaris, K. A-I. (2015). Marine mollusc shells from Java and Bali, Indonesia. PLoSONE, 10(12), e0140593.

Notar, B. E. (2006). Authenticity anxiety and counterfeit confidence: Outsourcing souvenirs, changing money, and narrating value in reform-era China. Modern China, 32(1), 64-98.

Palmer, R. (2007). Skills for work? From skills development to decent livelihoods in Ghana’s rural informal economy. International Journal of Educational Development, 27, 397-420.

Pilario, D. F. E. (2014). Eucharist and human suffering: Retrieving “sacrifice” in the contemporary magisterium. Modern Theology, 30(2), 340-356.

Pollnac, R. B., Pomeroy, R. S., & Harkes, I. H. T. (2001). Fishery policy and job satisfaction in three southeast Asian fisheries. Ocean & Coastal Management, 44(7-8), 531-544.

Porter, B. A. (2014). Marine tourism as a supplemental livelihood: An exploration of remote fisheries-based communities in the Philippines. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.

Porter, B. A., & Orams, M. B. (2014). Exploring tourism as a potential development strategy for an artisanal fishing community in the Philippines: The case of Barangay Victory in Bolinao. Tourism in Marine Environments, 10(1-2), 49-70.

Salvador, R. B., Ribeiro, G., & Cavallari, D. C. (2015). Molluscs on Brazilian postage stamps. Strombus, 22(1-2), 19.

Shyam, S. S., Jagadis, I., Venkatesan, V., Kavitha, M., & Mohamed, K. (2017). Ornamental gastropod shell trade in India: A macroeconomic assessment. Marine Fisheries Information Service: Technical and Extension Series, 231, 11-13.

Swanson, K. K., & Timothy, D. J. (2012). Souvenirs: Icons of meaning, commercialization and commoditization. Tourism Management, 33(3), 489-499.

Thirumaran, K., Dam, M. X., & Thirumaran, C. M. (2014). Integrating souvenirs with tourism development: Vietnam’s challenges. Tourism Planning & Development, 11(1), 57-67.

Trihnh, T. T., Ryan, C., & Cave, J. (2014). Souvenir sellers and perceptions of authenticity – the retailers of Hôi An, Vietnam. Tourism Management, 45, 275-283.

Turner, R. A., Cakacaka, A., Graham, N. A. J., Poulin, N. V. C., Pratchet, M. S., Stead, S. M., & Wilson, S. K. (2007). Declining reliance on marine resources in remote South Pacific societies: Ecological versus socio-economic drivers. Coral Reefs, 26(4), 997-1008.

Weeratunge, N., Snyder, K. A., & Sze, C. P. (2010). Gleaner, fisher, trader, processor: Understanding gendered employment in fisheries and aquaculture. Fish and Fisheries, 11(4), 405-420.

Wood, E., & Wells, S. (1995). The shell trade: A case for sustainable utilization. In E. A. Kay (Ed.), The conservation biology of molluscs: Proceedings of a symposium held at the 9th International Malacological. International Union for Conservation of Nature.