Using local ecological knowledge of Fishers to infer the impact of climate variability in Galápagos’ small-scale fisheries

Abstract

Galápagos has been characterized with great abundance of marine life and high levels of endemism. Due to its geographical position, this archipelago experiences tremendous climate variability during El Niño events, which disturb the entire marine food web, and ultimately affect the artisanal fishing activity. In this study, we explored the main impacts of El Niño events on artisanal fishing and marine life using the local ecological knowledge provided by four generations of fishers on the most populated islands in Galápagos. Anecdotal information and perceptions coincided with the current scientific literature and provided novel insights about: (i) the positive and negative effects of the El Niño years on artisanal fisheries and marine animals, (ii) differences in species caught during warm and cold seasons and (iii) current interactions among artisanal fisheries, tourism and unauthorized industrial fisheries activities within the 40 nautical miles that surround the Galápagos Marine Reserve. In addition, fishers provided valuable information for governing resources under anomalously warm years, by identifying sites that function as natural refuges for fish and invertebrates during El Niño events. Data derived from these interviews highlight an urgent need for a novel, bottom-up and collaborative fisheries governance, between the artisanal fishing sector and decision and policy makers in Galápagos. Collaborative initiatives, involving one of the sectors that first inhabited the archipelago, is essential to achieve sustainable and long-term use of marine resources and to increase and anticipate human and environmental resilience under continued long-term global warming.