Local Conservation Initiatives Research Articles

Monitoring landed seahorse catch in a changing policy environment

ESR Endangered Species Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials ESR 27:95-111 (2015) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00643 Monitoring landed seahorse catch in a changing policy environment M. Yasué1,*, A. Nellas2, H. Panes2, A. C. J. Vincent3 1Quest University Canada, 3200 University Blvd., Squamish, BC V8B 0N8, Canada 2Project Seahorse Foundation for Marine Conservation, Gaviola Compound, Maria Theresa Village II, Barangay Guadalupe 6000, Philippines 3Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada *Corresponding author: maiyasue@gmail.com ABSTRACT: For many small-scale, tropical reef fisheries, landed catch may be the only data that can be monitored to assess the impacts of management. This is true for seahorses Hippocampus comes that are obtained as part of a multi-species fishery in the Philippines. Here, because seahorses are locally rare and depleted, it is difficult to attain large enough sample sizes to detect changes over time using underwater surveys. We assessed changes in seahorse sales at 2 sites, from 1996 and 2005 respectively to 2010. The study period covered local and national conservation initiatives that could affect seahorses and dependent fisheries: establishment of marine reserves (1998 onwards), a community-led minimum size limit (MSL: 2002 to 2004) and a national ban on seahorse fishing (from 2004). The MSL appeared to lead to increased sizes of seahorses in trade, as hoped, while the national ban led, perversely, to more fishers selling seahorses. Declines in overall take after 2004 or 2007 (depending on the site) is likely linked to declining seahorse populations rather than reduced effort, especially when one considers the increased number of fishers and the price per seahorse. It is notable that communities decided on the MSL, whereas the government imposed the ban on capturing seahorses. In this small-scale, multi-species fishery, monitoring a wide range of variables intensively over a relatively long time scale allowed us to identify key differences between small-scale and industrial fisheries management, and also to document the biological and social consequences of management action for a depleted, threatened species. KEY WORDS: CITES · MPAs · Marine reserve · Exploitation · Fishing ban · Philippines · Size distribution · Minimum size limits Full text in pdf format Supplementary material NextCite this article as: Yasué M, Nellas A, Panes H, Vincent ACJ (2015) Monitoring landed seahorse catch in a changing policy environment. Endang Species Res 27:95-111. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00643 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in ESR Vol. 27, No. 2. Online publication date: February 18, 2015 Print ISSN: 1863-5407; Online ISSN: 1613-4796 Copyright © 2015 Inter-Research.

Lessons from the conservation sector's response to a crisis environment in Zimbabwe

AbstractHere I examine how conservation organizations responded to a crisis environment in Zimbabwe. Since c. 2000 Zimbabwe has gone through a political, social and economic crisis that has led to reduced support for, and in some cases disengagement by, international and regional conservation organizations. I explore five response types on a continuum of disengagement and propose lessons for wider conservation practice. The lessons include the need to recognize that political discourse often excludes biodiversity conservation and therefore any conservation decisions based on political expediency run the risk of impeding conservation progress. Progress in conserving biodiversity requires sustained investment regardless of changing political circumstances. Such investment should include support for institutional development, local engagement, and accountability that engenders ownership of local conservation initiatives. I conclude that conservation organizations must take a long-term view of conservation and commitment to enhance conservation outcomes. This kind of engagement must be adaptive instead of based on a wait-and-see attitude or other forms of disengagement, as has been seen in Zimbabwe. Conservation organizations that disengage do so at the risk of further loss of biodiversity in some of the most biodiverse but unstable places.

Local vulnerability, Forest communities and Forestcarbon conservation: case of southern Cameroon

The mechanism for reducing carbon emissions through forest conservation is dominating climate policy processes in many tropical forests countries. However, there are concerns about the implications of these activities on forest-dependent communities, who are vulnerable to climatic stresses. Reconciling local vulnerability, adaptive capacity and forests carbon conservation initiatives is necessary but challenging. This paper examines this option in two community forests carbon conservation projects in Nomedjoh and Nkolenyeng in southern Cameroon. Base on community perception, the study reveals firstly, that communities are vulnerable to local climate variability and the carbon conservation projects might further exacerbate community vulnerability. Secondly, local adaptation needs and options encompass improvement in livelihood diversification, strengthening the viability of local economic activities, knowledge and capacity building in local agriculture systems and alternative livelihood options. Thirdly, the motivation, incentives and willingness of forest communities to participate in forests conservation activities are somehow influenced by factors linked to their adaptation needs, in addition to the perception of tenure security. Furthermore, the carbon project objectives and activities have prospects to enhance the adaptive capacity of forest communities if well implemented. This study concludes that assessing the vulnerability of livelihood options of communities to both climatic and non climatic stresses is a point of departure to minimise risk on forests carbon conservation schemes.

Local Understandings of Conservation in Southeastern Mexico and Their Implications for Community‐Based Conservation as an Alternative Paradigm

Since the 1990s national and international programs have aimed to legitimize local conservation initiatives that might provide an alternative to the formal systems of state-managed or otherwise externally driven protected areas. We used discourse analysis (130 semistructured interviews with key informants) and descriptive statistics (679 surveys) to compare local perceptions of and experiences with state-driven versus community-driven conservation initiatives. We conducted our research in 6 communities in southeastern Mexico. Formalization of local conservation initiatives did not seem to be based on local knowledge and practices. Although interviewees thought community-based initiatives generated less conflict than state-managed conservation initiatives, the community-based initiatives conformed to the biodiversity conservation paradigm that emphasizes restricted use of and access to resources. This restrictive approach to community-based conservation in Mexico, promoted through state and international conservation organizations, increased the area of protected land and had local support but was not built on locally relevant and multifunctional landscapes, a model that community-based conservation is assumed to advance.

A method for assessing fishers’ ecological knowledge as a practical tool for ecosystem-based fisheries management: Seeking consensus in Southeastern Brazil

Studies on fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK) and local ecological knowledge (LEK) have rarely been undertaken for practical application in a management context. Here, we describe a methodology to access FEK that was designed under an ecosystem-based fisheries management framework. The procedure was adapted from the Delphi technique, which seeks experts’ consensus, and focused on several spatial and temporal issues related to the small-scale fisheries of the northern coast of São Paulo, Brazil (particularly, in Ubatuba, between 23°20′ S and 23°35′ S). Experienced fishers, considered as experts, were selected during a pilot phase to participate in two sequential rounds of semi-structured interviews at 3 main landing sites and 12 coastal fishing communities. The issues addressed were: (1) spatial and seasonal occurrence of mature females and juveniles of the main commercial species, (2) fishing grounds and bycatch species for each type of fishing gear, and (3) fishers’ suggestions for local fisheries management (e.g. mesh and size of gillnets, closure seasons, gear restrictions by fishing area). It was possible to identify consensus rates on the spatial and temporal issues, as well as on fishers’ management suggestions. The former allowed the construction of maps representing fishing grounds and the local spatial distribution of different fishery stocks strata. We illustrate the output by focusing on five fishery stocks: the seabob-shrimp Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, the whitemouth croaker Micropogonias furnieri, the inshore squid Loligo spp, the white shrimp Litopenaeus schimitti and the blue runner Caranx crysos. Overall, the results provided new guidelines for future local fisheries management and conservation initiatives. The methodology proved to be useful for the definition of essential fish habitats (EFHs), suggesting their potential application in other locations.

Connectivity Planning to Address Climate Change

As the climate changes, human land use may impede species from tracking areas with suitable climates. Maintaining connectivity between areas of different temperatures could allow organisms to move along temperature gradients and allow species to continue to occupy the same temperature space as the climate warms. We used a coarse-filter approach to identify broad corridors for movement between areas where human influence is low while simultaneously routing the corridors along present-day spatial gradients of temperature. We modified a cost-distance algorithm to model these corridors and tested the model with data on current land-use and climate patterns in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The resulting maps identified a network of patches and corridors across which species may move as climates change. The corridors are likely to be robust to uncertainty in the magnitude and direction of future climate change because they are derived from gradients and land-use patterns. The assumptions we applied in our model simplified the stability of temperature gradients and species responses to climate change and land use, but the model is flexible enough to be tailored to specific regions by incorporating other climate variables or movement costs. When used at appropriate resolutions, our approach may be of value to local, regional, and continental conservation initiatives seeking to promote species movements in a changing climate. Planificación de Conectividad para Atender el Cambio Climático.

The Butterfly House Industry: Conservation Risks and Education Opportunities

This paper addresses the mass supply and use of butterflies for live exhibits, discusses the risks to biodiversity which this creates, and the educational opportunities it presents. Over the past 30 years a new type of insect zoo has become popular worldwide: the butterfly house. This has given rise to the global Butterfly House Industry (BHI) based on the mass production of butterfly pupae as a cash crop. Production is largely carried out by privately- owned butterfly farms in tropical countries, notably Central America and Southeast Asia. Most pupae are exported to North America and Europe, although the number of butterfly houses in tropical countries is growing. The BHI is described with respect to its stakeholders, their diverse interests, and its extent. It is estimated that the global turnover of the BHI is in the order of USD 100 million. From a conservation perspective, there is a tension between risks and benefits. The risks to biodiversity are primarily unsustainable production, potential bastardisation of local faunas and floras, and genetic mixing within and even between butterfly species. This paper discusses general ways of managing these risks. Ethical concerns range from fair trade issues to animal husbandry and the use of wildlife for entertainment. For the risks to biodiversity and unresolved ethical issues to be tolerable, the BHI needs to make a significant contribution to conservation, primarily through effective education about butterfly biology as a means to raise public awareness of basic ecological processes, and conservation and environmental issues. It should also engage with local conservation initiatives. Currently the BHI's great potential for public good in these respects is rarely realised. The paper concludes by looking at the special nature of the BHI, and its need for effective self-regulation if it is to continue to escape from public scrutiny and the introduction of restrictive regulations. The BHI needs to engage in active cooperation between its various stakeholders regarding a raft of critical issues if it is to survive and fulfil a beneficial role in society. The BHI also needs to forge active partnerships with conservation NGOs, educationalists, and scientists—communities that also need to recognise their own responsibilities towards the industry. We also discuss the need for an effective umbrella organisation for the BHI, as well as a Code for trading and exhibiting live butterflies.

Conservation of the jaguarPanthera oncain a community-dominated landscape in montane forests in Oaxaca, Mexico

AbstractWe examined the presence of the jaguarPanthera onca, and human–jaguar interactions, in a community-dominated montane tropical forest landscape with formally recognized indigenous/community conserved areas in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca state, Mexico. We used camera traps to detect jaguars, and social data were collected through informal interviews and 46 semi-structured and 106 structured interviews with community leaders and members. During June 2007–June 2008 camera traps registered two jaguars in the four study communities after 1,164 trap nights, with a photo-capture rate of 7.8 jaguar captures per 1,000 trap nights. Interviews documented 86 jaguar sightings since 1990. Despite some history of livestock predation, 68% of the interviewed farmers indicated jaguar presence was positive, 20% that jaguar presence was both positive and negative, and 12% thought jaguars were a negative presence. All of the respondents with negative attitudes had either owned cattle previously or lost cattle to predation. Despite ongoing risks to jaguars the emergence of community-conserved areas, local conservation initiatives, and a community-imposed hunting ban are supported by 93% of community members. An emerging culture of conservation in the study communities suggests there is an opportunity for jaguar conservation on community lands that should be explored elsewhere in jaguar range countries.

The Paradox of Open Space Ballot Initiatives in the American West: A New West-Old West Phenomenon?

Support for local open space ballot initiatives in the American West is surprising, given that federal land conservation legislation tends to be lightning rod issues. The central focus of this study is to explore the extent to which the New West-Old West concept explains varying levels of support for local land conservation initiatives. Principal component analysis is used to obtain orthogonal variables of regionally relevant data on population, housing, and occupation/industry. Weighted Least Squares Regression is used to regress the factor analysis variables and population migration variables onto percent voting 'yes' for open space initiative. All community variables are significant predictors of levels of support: affluent communities, Old West communities, commuter communities, communities with decennial population increases, communities with non-Western state in-migration, and communities with farm population losses. What explains varying levels of support is not the polarized New West-Old West concept but, rather, a nuanced conception of the changing American West.

Engaging absentee landowners in conservation practice decisions: A descriptive study of an understudied group

Nonpoint source pollution is the primary pollution threat facing water quality in the Great Lakes Basin (Great Lakes Commission n.d.). Protection and preservation of water quality in the Basin, as well as elsewhere, hinges on the ability of local conservation agencies to effectively contact, assist, and convince landowners to personally undertake and participate in local, state, and federal sponsored conservation initiatives. However, nearly half (48%) of landowners in the Basin do not operate the agricultural land they own (Census of Agriculture 1999). In addition, it is unknown how many of these landowners are aware of or receiving any information about the conservation practices and resources available to them through public sponsored programs. Therefore, it is difficult to gauge the “average” level of knowledge these landowners have regarding educational, technical, and financial assistance for conservation implementation.

Recreational tree-climbing programs in a rural Japanese community forest: Social impacts and “fun factors”

We examined whether recreational tree climbing (TC) activities would have positive social impacts and rejuvenate an outdoor activity center and surrounding community forest in central Japan. Our case study comprised 3800 adults and children participating in TC activities at the Jyokoji Outdoor Activity Center (JOAC) in Seto, Japan. We focused on 1393 adult participants whom we considered to be the decision makers regarding family recreation, and we explored both the social impacts of TC and various factors that contributed to and distracted from the overall experience. Qualitative and quantitative data indicated that elements such as age, gender, tree preferences, tree appreciation, tree education, and technical instruction influenced the enjoyment of recreational TC and the positive effects on tree climbers. Overall, the climbing program had positive social impacts for the community forest and contributed to local conservation initiatives. Our case study suggests that other areas can benefit from incorporating TC programs into community forest planning to complement aesthetic, ecological, and restoration benefits and provide a new venue for recreation and conservation awareness.

Distinguishing between the nests of sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas

SummaryOur current inability to estimate precisely the population sizes of chimpanzees and gorillas across much of the Congo Basin has been detrimental to the development of conservation strategies for the preservation of these endangered apes. Systematic counts of nests are currently the most commonly used method to estimate ape abundance, but distinguishing between the nests of sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas has proven to be an enduring obstacle to estimating species‐specific abundance. In general, the builder of more than 75% of nests recorded during surveys is undetermined. We hypothesized that sleeping habits and nest building patterns would allow us to differentiate between the nests of these apes.We constructed a predictive model using stepwise discriminant function analysis to determine characteristics that accurately distinguished between chimpanzee and gorilla nests. We analysed 13 variables associated with 3425 ape nests from three independent surveys conducted in the Goualougo Triangle of the Nouabalé‐Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo.The model correctly classified more than 90% of nests in our validation subsample. Nest height, nest type, forest type and understorey closure were identified as important variables for distinguishing between chimpanzee and gorilla nests at this site. Attributing nests to either species increased the precision of resulting density estimates, which enhanced the statistical power to detect trends in population fluctuation.Although specific variables may differ between study sites, we have demonstrated that predictive models to distinguish between the nests of sympatric chimpanzee and gorillas provide a promising approach to improving the quality of ape survey data.Synthesis and applications. Our study introduces an innovative solution to the dilemma of discriminating between the nests of sympatric chimpanzees and gorillas, which increases the specificity and precision of resulting ape abundance estimates. There is an urgent need to improve methods to evaluate and monitor remaining ape populations across western and central Africa that are experiencing the imminent threats of emergent diseases, poaching and expanding human development. Increasing the quality of density estimates from field survey data will aid in the development of local conservation initiatives, national strategies and international policies on behalf of remaining ape populations.

Perspectives on Community-Based Forest Management in Oaxaca, Mexico

This compilation of papers explores various aspects related to community-based natural resource management in a comparative analysis of two communities located in different regions of Oaxaca, Mexico: the Chimalapas and the Sierra Norte. The contrasting histories, cultures, and forest ecosystems in the two communities have led to diverse approaches to managing their natural resources. Our analysis highlights the existence of underlying principles driving participatory management approaches, as well as the importance of adapting these approaches to site-specific local conditions. One theme addressed in these papers is the development of appropriate silvicultural techniques that incorporate both the local peoples' needs and experiences with the ecological characteristics of the forest ecosystem. Other land use activities are then discussed that affect management decisions in the regions such as cattle ranching and the collection of medicinal plants within the context of managing for sustainable forest and human ecosystems in the two regions. Finally, the role of community organization and the formation of partnerships with external institutions in strengthening local management and conservation initiatives are also considered. Together, these papers provide a commentary on the potentials and constraints of emerging participatory approaches to managing high priority conservation areas, and which are providing new alternatives where previous models have often failed.

BIOPAT Does Not Trade in Names

In response to the letter by A. Minelli, O. Kraus, and P. K. Tubbs (“Names for cash,” 18 Feb., p. [1203][1]) in which they critique the BIOPAT initiative, we feel that an explanation of BIOPAT's aims is called for. The title of the original News Focus article by Sabine Steghaus-Kovac that Minelli et al. responded to, “Researchers cash in on personalized species names” (21 Jan., p. [421][2]), with its “names for cash” message, is a little misleading, and their letter focuses so narrowly on this issue that the main objectives of our initiative seem to have been overlooked. We welcome remarks to the effect that names should not be sold and that pure taxonomy needs support, because they reflect our own point of departure. BIOPAT was founded because taxonomy and species description has no strong lobby and is regarded as inferior to “real” scientific issues, and because local institutions and conservation initiatives need strengthening. However, because ecological and evolutionary research as well as the protection of biodiversity all depend on named taxa, straightforward naming has to advance if we are to fulfill our aim of achieving a general inventory of living organisms in our rapidly changing world. The final message is that pure taxonomy and species description need sponsorship. There is nothing exceptionable about honoring sponsors publicly by naming species after them; this has already been common practice in the past. However, we agree with Minelli et al. 's concern that species should not be named for financial profit. BIOPAT was founded to guarantee high standards in the allocation of dedicatory names given on a sponsorship basis. The philosophy underlying our initiative is that species described under this scheme should be ones that would have been described anyway. BIOPAT has a scientific board that must approve any name or sponsorship arrangement before publication. The financial transaction can only be effected through BIOPAT and can only take place after the relevant description has been published in a peer-reviewed journal or after a peer review has been organized by the scientific board before publication. Half of each donation goes to the department of taxonomy of the institution concerned (not to the individual scientist), and the other half goes to projects in the countries of origin. The message conveyed by this rigorous process is unmistakable: By giving a certain sum, you can both promote the discovery and description of new species (taxonomy) and support research into, and the protection of, biodiversity in natural habitats (conservation); and in recognition of your support, you will be honored with a dedicatory name. Anyone can sell names; there is nothing in the international codes to prevent this. In our experience, however, sponsors are interested in high-quality work resulting in reliable, enduring nomenclature; they are wary of dubious amateur publications that are likely, sooner or later, to result in duplication. BIOPAT is unique in this respect, and we do not accept that the risk referred to by Minelli et al. that “vendors could ‘discover’ species and invent genera for profit” will be increased as a result of serious scientific activity that is subject to rigorous review. Thus, while agreeing that “name selling” is not an acceptable approach, we dispute the notion that BIOPAT engages in this. We believe, on the contrary, that the kind of private sponsorship encouraged by BIOPAT will promote serious taxonomic work and will foster the description and conservation of biodiversity. Finally, we should also like to point out that BIOPAT is a transnational initiative to which any reputable museum, collection, or research institution may apply for membership. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.287.5456.1203d [2]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.287.5452.421

Australian Elections, Wilderness and the Lost Billions

As I write this editorial, Australia is in the final week of national elections. Apart from the appearance of a strongly nationalistic, and minority, party which the media has promoted as racist, it is unlikely that Australia's election has received much notice outside Australia. Yet there are aspects to this election which should disturb anyone interested in achieving global ecological sustainability and the conservation of global biodiversity. First, there has been a conspicuous silence from the major political parties concerning environmental issues. To be sure, the sitting conservative government has rolled out the pork barrel and grandly announced funding for local conservation initiatives ? especially in marginal seats ? but there has been no debate on issues nor have environmental policies been afforded even a small fraction of the attention given to the economy, unemployment, health or education. Moreover, the projects funded do nothing to resolve the underlying causes of Australia's declining environmental quality (e.g., land clearing, unsustainable logging practices, over grazing, and excessive demands on fresh water). This is despite the fact that respondents to polls continue to list the environment among the most important issues concerning Australians.

Local energy conservation initiatives in the UK: Their nature and achievements

Local energy conservation initiatives in the UK have been relatively neglected on the part of the energy policy research community as a whole. However, though individually small in scale, in aggregate and with effective replication, their impact could be very substantial indeed. Here, we review and evaluate the varying nature of five different local UK energy conservation initiatives.