Local disconnects in global discourses—The unintended consequences of marine mammal protection on small‐scale fishers

Katrina J Davis,Cristina Romero‐De‐Diego,E.J Milner‐Gulland,William N.S Arlidge,Joanna Alfaro‐Shigueto,Jeffrey C Mangel,Morena Mills,Stefan Gelcich,Michael Burton,José Palma‐Duque

doi:10.1111/conl.12835

Abstract

AbstractGlobal commitments prioritize protection of wildlife and improvements to human wellbeing. Local disconnects in these commitments are rarely acknowledged—or their implications assessed—preventing the development of effective solutions. National and international efforts to protect marine mammals along South America's west coast have contributed to species recovery, but also to conflict between sea lions and small‐scale fisheries. To understand the concerns ultimately motivating this conflict, we assessed how 301 coastal small‐scale fishers perceive their interactions with South American sea lions (Otaria flavescens). We then reviewed the terrestrial human–wildlife literature to identify potential management solutions to resolve the conflict. We find that fishers are chiefly concerned with increases in sea lion populations, perceive that sea lion interactions have significantly increased over the past 80 years, and report sea lion‐driven catch and income losses of ≥26%. We propose solutions to manage conflict that are sensitive to heterogeneity among fisher groups.

Highlights

There has been a push for wildlife protection at national and international levels, for “charismatic” mammals like tigers and elephants (Sibarani et al, 2019)
There has been an international push towards fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) (UN General Assembly 2015), those focused on eradicating poverty
We focus on coastal areas spanning Peru and Chile, and recommend management solutions accounting for the needs of different fisher groups

Summary

Introduction

There has been a push for wildlife protection at national and international levels, for “charismatic” mammals like tigers and elephants (Sibarani et al, 2019). This protection has been formalized through policies like the US Endangered Species Act (1973). What is rarely acknowledged at global levels is the disconnect between these different policy aspirations (but see Tallis et al, 2008). This disconnect occurs when attempts to progress one goal negatively impact the achievement of the second, and may only surface when moving from global to local scales. If the global community is committed to a post-2020 deal for nature and people—where goals regarding improvements to people’s wellbeing and nature conservation are both fulfilled (the elusive “winwin” (Tallis et al, 2008))— governments and scientists must engage with these “messy” local conflicts that repeat across the globe but resist high-level simplification

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