Transitioning to co-management in Caribbean reef fisheries: Tela Bay case study

Abstract

Caribbean fisheries are characterized by their heterogeneous socio-ecological conditions. Paradoxically, they are generally managed through a top-down, government centered, one-size fits all approach. Here, we assessed the governance and socioeconomic context of a Caribbean reef fishery (Tela Bay, Honduras), to disentangle the main challenges and opportunities faced during the transition to fisheries co-management. Similar to the rest of the region, Tela Bay communities depend on reef fisheries for their livelihoods and food security but they turned to co-management as a means to achieve a sustainable fishery. We identified four main challenges for the successful implementation of co-management, these were: (1) weak institutions, (2) financial constraints, (3) reduced group cohesion due to the high heterogeneity among stakeholders and (4) lack of formal legal agreements to legitimize co-management arrangements. Despite these challenges, the Tela Bay communities were able to successfully implement co-management, due to 2 key aspects: (1) bridging organizations that fostered multilevel collaboration, promoted participation, strengthened organizations, generated financial support and improved accountability and (2) social capital, reflected through community participation, cooperation, trust and conflict resolution mechanisms. The Tela Bay case study has contributed to sustainability science by demonstrating that the conceptualization of co-management differs according to the socioeconomic context of the fishery. In its early implementation in Caribbean fisheries, co-management should be viewed as institution building and governance. Thus, successful case studies must continue to be monitored to scale-up these efforts in the region.