Governance strategies for a successful marine protected area – The case of Torre Guaceto

Abstract

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an essential tool for the protection and recovery of marine ecosystems. Most Mediterranean MPAs are multiple-use, i.e., they include a small no-take area and a buffer zone where extractive and non-extractive economic activities are allowed, mostly under restricted conditions. Multiple-use MPAs are characterised by specific governance challenges, which differ from those of no-take ones. They need to find a compromise between conservation goals and the interests of different categories of stakeholders, and in particular the fishery and tourism sectors – whose support and buy-in are essential to ensure compliance. For this reason, it is important to analyse the governance strategy of multiple-use MPAs that are successful both from an environmental and a socio-economic point of view. To contribute to this debate I herein explore the governance strategy of the Torre Guaceto MPA in south-east Italy, a success story that shows how, even in a difficult socio-economic context and with limited public funding, a MPA can lead to the recovery of ecosystems while providing economic benefits to the tourism and fishery sectors. Drawing from a focus group with fishermen and in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders from the managing Consortium, the tourist and agriculture sectors and two local residents, I argue that the reason for the success of the Torre Guaceto MPA can be found in the use of multiple economic and non-economic incentives, which catalyse synergies among sectors, and in the strong leadership by two local, well-respected, committed and pro-active leaders.