Abstract
AbstractUnderstanding empowerment is integral to facilitating sustainable use policies and requires assessing potential drivers. However, critical applications are rare in conservation. Using the island of Príncipe (São Tomé and Príncipe) as a case study, we undertook household surveys (N = 869) to assess potential drivers of psychological empowerment towards conservation, measured as the perceived abilities of people to individually or collectively influence marine conservation outcomes, accounting for gender. Law enforcement, collective influence, freedom of choice and action, environmental condition and living in coastal community were key variables for understanding perceived personal influence. In particular, no‐fishing areas and raising awareness about sustainable practices were recommended by those with higher self‐perceived influence. Such information on target groups and factors to promote is essential for facilitating empowerment towards conservation and laying robust foundations for resource comanagement, especially given the role communities can play in the face of limited state capacity and enforcement.
Highlights
Local communities are essential for championing robust pathways that consider local needs and priorities, and promoting the long-term persistence of conservation programs, when enforcement is challenging (Alexander, Epstein, Bodin, Armitage, & Campbell, 2018; Bennett et al, 2019)
Using marine conservation and small-scale fisheries in Príncipe (São Tomé and Príncipe) as a case study, we identify key determinants of psychological empowerment towards conservation, and explore potential management implications
Surveyed rural communities included: the only six permanent coastal communities and five randomly-selected noncoastal communities (Figure 1); due to the small size of the island and population, we were interested in exploring resource dependence across rural communities and expected marine conservation initiatives could benefit from, and affect, noncoastal communities as well as those directly related to fishing
Summary
Local communities are essential for championing robust pathways that consider local needs and priorities, and promoting the long-term persistence of conservation programs, when enforcement is challenging (Alexander, Epstein, Bodin, Armitage, & Campbell, 2018; Bennett et al, 2019) This has led to increasing focus on understanding and facilitating the role of individuals in collaborative actions to modify environmentally damaging activities (Amel, Manning, Scott, & Koger, 2017), requiring understanding of what might act as catalyst for conservation action. Empowerment remains a generally unclear and imprecise claim (Petriello et al, 2020) This concept is, widely used in the social sciences literature and is generally perceived as a multidimensional enabling process to enhance the abilities of people to influence processes affecting their lives; related outcomes include improved autonomy, decision making, and advocacy skills (Koberg, Boss, Senjem, & Goodman, 1999). In light of recent efforts to enhance protection of the marine environment, this information is essential for promoting factors that facilitate empowerment as well as laying robust foundations for comanagement of natural resources and help countries fulfil international development and biodiversity commitments
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