Indigenous Fishers Research Articles

Cultural Bequest Values for Ecosystem Service Flows Among Indigenous Fishers: A Discrete Choice Experiment Validated with Mixed Methods

Perhaps the most understudied ecosystem services are related to socio-cultural values tied to non-material benefits arising from human-ecosystem relationships. Bequest values linked to natural ecosystems can be particularly significant for indigenous communities whose livelihoods and cultures are tied to ecosystems. Here we apply a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to determine indigenous fishers’ preferences and willingness-to-pay for bequest gains from management actions in a locally managed marine area in Madagascar, and use our results to estimate an implicit discount rate. We validate our results using a unique rating and ranking game and other mixed methods. We find that bequest is highly valued and important; respondents were willing to pay a substantial portion of their income to protect ecosystems for future generations. Through all of our inquiries, bequest emerged as the highest priority, even when respondents were forced to make trade-offs among other livelihood-supporting ecosystem services. This study is among a relative few to quantify bequest values and apply a DCE to model trade-offs, value ecosystem service flows, and estimate discount rates in a developing country. Our results directly inform coastal management in Madagascar and elsewhere by providing information on the socio-cultural value of bequest in comparison to other ecosystem service benefits.

Understanding marine park opposition: the relationship between social impacts, environmental knowledge and motivation to fish

Abstract Marine protected areas (MPAs), are being vigorously pursued globally but meeting significant resistance at a local level. Despite this, there is limited research into the factors that drive this resistance. The Port Stephens–Great Lakes Marine Park (PSGLMP) and Batemans Marine Park (BMP), both situated in New South Wales (NSW) Australia, were established in December 2005 and April 2006 respectively. Both generated significant controversy and hostility, particularly from the recreational fishing sector. The controversy surrounding the declaration of these and other NSW marine parks continues and has been the subject of intense political interest and government enquiry. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with recreational, professional and indigenous fishers. They explored the social impacts of the declaration of PSGLMP and BMP and their link to marine park opposition. Opponents felt the marine parks had resulted in a variety of negative impacts ranging from a loss of enjoyment and convenience through to more serious impacts on wellbeing, livelihood and culture. Examination of the reasons why interview subjects participated in fishing provided further insight into their perception of the marine park and the impacts resulting from the declaration. Opposition to MPAs, however, cannot be explained by impact alone. All the marine park opponents interviewed represented themselves as ‘knowledge holders’ about their local marine area. This knowledge – predominately ‘fish’ knowledge – appears to have conflicted with a policy position which places biodiversity conservation as the primary objective of MPAs. This has led to a perception that the practical knowledge of users was not valued in the planning of each marine park. Incorporation of the goals and objectives of local communities into the development of MPA proposals may provide communities with a greater sense of ownership. Considering motivation to fish may allow for the development of more holistic management responses to mitigate and compensate users for social impacts that may arise from any necessary trade‐offs between these often competing objectives. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The quandary of quota management in the Torres Strait rock lobster fishery

AbstractIslanders, commercial non‐indigenous fishers and Papua New Guinea fishers share the tropical rock lobster fishery, Panulirus ornatus (Fabricius) in Torres Strait. As the fishery is in the process of moving from input to output controls, a pre‐implementation understanding of indigenous fishers' perceptions of the potential impact of different quota management systems is gained. This study, based on workshops and interviews, considers the impact of competitive quota, community quota and a hybrid system with individually tradeable quota (ITQ), and broadens the current biological focus of fisheries management through consideration of economic, social and cultural aspects. The perceived quota system impact on indigenous lobster fishers largely mirrors the experience internationally, with unlimited access and self‐determination considered most important. The heterogeneity of the indigenous sector increases the management complexity for this fishery, but needs to be taken into consideration if unexpected consequences of the chosen quota management system are to be avoided.

A Bayesian model of factors influencing indigenous participation in the Torres Strait tropical rocklobster fishery

The tropical rocklobster fishery in the Torres Strait, based on the species Panulirus ornatus, is currently managed by input controls. The Australian Commonwealth government’s aim is to transition to a quota management system (QMS) for this fishery. The fishery is complex in terms of international boundaries, multiple jurisdictions and management objectives regulating a mix of commercial and traditional indigenous fishers and a commercial non-indigenous sector. One key objective is to promote indigenous fisher participation to meet their aspirations of achieving a greater control of the region’s fisheries resources. A Bayesian Network analysis has been applied that considers the variability in participation of indigenous fishers under key economic and socio-cultural drivers, such as the availability of a government employment program, lobster prices, social capital and capacity, and infrastructure availability. The model identifies three distinct indigenous fisher groups: full-time, active part-time, and casual lobster fishers. Scenario analyses suggest that changes in the government employment program will have a substantial impact on the relative proportion of fishers in these groups. Similarly, changes in the provision of logistics, infrastructure, and building social capital and capacity are expected to have a significant impact on the occurrence of full-time fishing. As the Commonwealth has an obligation under the Torres Strait Treaty to protect the traditional way of life and livelihood of Islanders as well as promoting employment opportunities for Traditional Inhabitants, it is important that management authorities consider both the effect of management changes for the fishery as a whole and for each indigenous fisher group separately.

Complexity of applying minimum legal sizes (MLS) of retention in an indigenous coral reef fishery

Abstract Retaining coral reef fish for subsistence during commercial fishing is a common practice for indigenous fishers in the Torres Strait, Australia, despite being inconsistent with legislation. Fisher access point surveys were completed between 2004 and 2006 on three islands in Torres Strait to characterise this subsistence practice and assess the level to which it undermines current minimum legal fish sizes. Approximately 15% of the annual total catch was retained for subsistence during commercial fishing. Notably, subsistence catch of the most commercially valuable species almost entirely comprised individuals smaller than the minimum legal sizes. The higher proportions of undersized individuals of valuable species retained during commercial fishing on some of the islands were most likely associated with an increase in professionalism of the fishers. These results demonstrate how the intended outcomes from a management strategy can be undermined when the specific operational conditions of the fishery are not considered. Successful implementation of management arrangements in indigenous communities ultimately depends on the sociocultural conditions of the communities and their understanding and adherence to the rules. A productive way forward for the management of this fishery is greater engagement of indigenous communities and managers in co‐management arrangements.

Balancing indigenous and non-indigenous commercial objectives in a coral reef finfish fishery

Abstract Williams, A. J., Little, L. R., and Begg, G. A. 2011. Balancing indigenous and non-indigenous commercial objectives in a coral reef finfish fishery. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 68: 834–847. Indigenous participation in commercial fisheries is poorly established in Australia, except in Torres Strait where indigenous and non-indigenous commercial fishers participate in the Torres Strait Finfish Fishery (TSFF). TSFF stakeholders helped identify specific objectives and alternative management strategies for the fishery at a time when new management strategies were under consideration. A metapopulation and fishing simulation model was used to evaluate alternative management strategies related to harvest and conservation of coral trout (Plectropomus spp.), the main target species. Stakeholders identified objectives relating to conservation of unfished populations, maintenance of harvestable stock, and economic performance. In terms of management options, spatial closures decreased the prospects of meeting nearly all stakeholder objectives. A seasonal closure and larger minimum capture size increased the probability of meeting conservation and harvest objectives, but decreased the probability of meeting most economic objectives for both sectors. Increasing fishing effort increased harvest but decreased the catch rates for both sectors, so had varied effects on the probability of achieving harvest objectives. The research provides a case study of productive engagement with indigenous and non-indigenous stakeholders to address fisheries management needs and provides a framework for impartial evaluation of performance of alternative management strategies against stakeholder objectives.

Characterization and management of informal fisheries confronted with socio-economic changes in New Caledonia (South Pacific)

On the rural north-west coast of New Caledonia, the settlement of a major mining complex is expected to cause rapid and important socio-economic changes, resulting in significant effects on local fishing practices and their impact on resources. Fisher interviews were conducted in 2007 in this area to estimate fish catches, fishing yields and effort, to define a typology of informal fishing activities (including recreational, subsistence and benefit-aimed fishing), and to describe their spatial distribution. These results allowed the discussion of possible scenarios concerning the evolution of reef fish exploitation in a context of fast growing population and socio-economic changes. Local reef fisheries were essentially conducted through informal activities: 312 active boats were recorded and their catches reached 169 t/year whereas catches by professional fishers represented only 25 t/year with 4 boats. Practices and fishing yields were very diverse and linked to social, cultural and economic factors. Indigenous (Melanesian) fishers were mainly associated with subsistence and in some cases benefit-aimed activities (with informal commercialization), resulting in cost-benefit practices, important catches and the use of productive gears (gillnets). The fishers living in multi-cultural villages were mostly recreational, characterized by low yields and the use of less effective gears (spear gun, hand line). Fishing grounds were spatially structured according to these modern and traditional practices and their respective target biotopes. The main target families of reef fish were Lethrinidae, Acanthuridae and Mugilidae, the latter being mostly exploited by Melanesian fishers. The overall fishing pressure in the area (0.26 t/km 2/year) was low compared to other countries in the Pacific. However, its spatial distribution showed that some areas were lightly exploited whereas others were close to overfishing. Results showed that the expected rise in fish demand may lead to unsustainable exploitation levels in the latter zones. The increase in the recreational fishing fleet may also result in additional fishing pressure as well as reef degradations. From a social point of view, the fast economic development of the area is likely to disturb the present informal organization of fisheries and to initiate conflicts over the use of space and resources. Such perspectives call for urgent management measures. This case study therefore provided insights into the complex structure of informal fisheries in insular territories in the Pacific and their possible evolution when confronted with socio-economic changes.

Fishery biology and management of Protonibea diacanthus (Sciaenidae) aggregations in far Northern Cape York Peninsula waters

The sciaenid Protonibea diacanthus is a large, long-lived predatory fish of inshore northern Australian waters, which forms annual aggregations that are fished extensively by traditional (subsistence) and recreational fishers. There are now widespread concerns that the resource is being overexploited. Indigenous fishers of the Cape York Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) relate that large adult fish (up to 1500 mm total length (TL)) made up the bulk of the catch from the sciaenid aggregations until about 1994. In contrast, sexually mature P. diacanthus comprised only a small component (12 fish out of 270=4.4%) examined in a 1999–2000 sampling programme that was biased towards the largest individuals available. At 790 mm TL, the minimum size at first maturity for female P. diacanthus in this study is much smaller than the 920 mm TL reported previously in Queensland waters. Developing ovaries were observed in specimens sampled from sciaenid aggregations which formed in NPA waters between May and September 2000. However, no fish with ripe or spent gonads were found in the study, so the current timing and location of the spawning season for P. diacanthus in the region remain unknown. Food items observed in the analysis of the diet of P. diacanthus from the NPA included a variety of teleosts and invertebrates. The range of animal taxa represented in the prey items support the description of an ‘opportunistic predator’ attributed to the species. In our sampling, the stomach contents of fish caught during the time of the aggregation events did not differ from those observed at other times of the year. A total of 114 P. diacanthus were tagged and released at aggregation sites during the study period, and 3 fish (2.6%) were subsequently recaptured. The low rate of tag returns from the wild stock tagging programme, both in this study (2.6%) and from recreational fisher tag/release programmes for the sciaenid elsewhere in Queensland (6.5%), were not explained by tag loss nor mortality, given the high retention rate of tags and the zero mortality seen in tank trials. In response to the biological findings from this study, indigenous community councils of the NPA imposed a 2-year fishing moratorium for P. diacanthus. Surveys at aggregation sites in 2002 and 2003 established that much larger fish (mean size 103.5 cm TL) were again present on the grounds, albeit in very low numbers. These recent preliminary results highlight the critical need for continued monitoring and management of the P. diacanthus fishery in the NPA, if prospects for resource recovery are to be realised. The NPA initiative has provided a rare opportunity to negotiate a co-management strategy, based on scientific data and traditional knowledge, for the recovery of a cultural and economically significant fished resource.

The intersection of scientific and indigenous ecological knowledge in coastal Melanesia: implications for contemporary marine resource management*

Fundamental differences in the worldviews of western marine scientists and coastal Melanesian fishers have resulted in very different conclusions being drawn from similar sets of observations. The same inductive logic may lead both scientists and indigenous fishers to conclude that, say, square‐tail trout aggregate at a certain phase of the moon in a certain reef passage, but different assumptions derived from disparate worldviews may lead to very different conclusions about why the fish are there. In some cases these differences have significant implications for the way marine resources are (or are not) exploited and managed. Here I analyse examples of what I call empirical gaps in both scientific and indigenous knowledge concerning the biology and ecology of fished organisms that in some cases have led to the poor management of stocks of these species. I argue that scientific education can complement indigenous knowledge systems and thus lead to improved resource management, despite some claims that scientific and indigenous knowledge systems are incommensurable.

The Critical Heritage of Japanese Geography: Its Tortured Trajectory for Eight Decades

In Japan, critical geography has been practised for eight decades: since the 1920s when poverty and the miserable condition of labour and peasants instigated Japanese social scientists to adopt Marxism. The critical heritage began with importing works by German Marxist and soviet scholars, followed by criticism of the geopolitical ideologies that supported the militarist regime and the war of aggression. Besides them, the general orientation of critical geography before World War 2 remained mainly exceptionalist. Critical geographers gained momentum in the course of the democratisation process after World War 2, and they consolidated themselves by forming one of the earliest alternative organisations of geography, the Japan Association of Economic Geographers. Although the trend of exceptionalism persisted, some attempts to theorise critical geography emerged in the late 1960s to early 1970s. Noboru Ueno's work Chishigaku no Genten (The ultimate origin of chorography) (1972, Taimeido, Tokyo), for example, integrated the tenets of Marxism and phenomenology into a theoretical body of Marxist chorography that dealt with alienation of the indigenous fishers from the neighbouring sea, which was polluted with mercury from industrial waste. Yet, the advent of Toshifumi Yada's chiiki kozo ron (theory of regional structure) in 1973 (see Yada, 1990 Chiiki Kozo no Riron [The theory of regional structure] Mineruba Shobo, Kyoto) and its subsequent domination in the circle of once-critical geographers of a younger generation shattered further development of the critical heritage. The general orientation of geographers in Japan has become much more conservative and lost the intellectual power to come to terms with the growing critical trend among international geographers. At the same time, Japanese social scientists outside geography started to adopt the conceptions of critical geography developed abroad, bypassing the Japanese geographers' circle. It was not until the early 1990s that a group of critically minded geographers set out their endeavour to revitalise the critical heritage of geography afresh, to create their own conceptions of critical geography in close association with an international group of critical geographers.