Marine Resource Governance Research Articles

The conservation “myths” we live by: Reimagining human–nature relationships within the Scottish marine policy context

There are growing calls for the articulation and consideration of different value systems and emotions in shaping conservation and natural resource management decisions and participatory resource governance. This requires recognition of the socio‐cultural relations attached to landscape and seascape in marine conservation policy. Taking into account the relationship between the socio‐natural environment and socio‐political institutions and processes complicates conservation. Making human values and assumptions explicit within the conservation discourse reveals the inadequacy of conservation that is focused on a biodiversity that is framed only as other‐than‐human nature. This paper considers how the perceived separation between nature and culture underpinning conservation policy and practice exacerbated a conflict between members of a small Scottish island community and the Scottish Government around the creation of a marine protected area (MPA) off the coast of the island. A rich maritime heritage and a distinctive way of knowing the sea suggested the presence of embedded values that appeared to be colliding with values driving the MPA designation process. Social, historical and cultural forces have shaped the perceptions of landscape and seascape of many of the islanders and can help to explain the local resistance to the MPA. Visual participatory methods were used to explore local understandings of the meaning of conservation. The case‐study offers insights into different ways in which marine spaces are conceptualised and how this relates to marine resource governance. It contributes to a more complete understanding of human relations with the marine environment in the context of a marine conservation conflict.

Local political dynamics of coastal and marine resource governance: A case study of tin-mining at a coastal community in Indonesia

The purpose of this research was to explore the history of suction dredging and the local political dynamics of coastal resource governance in a village on Bangka Island, Indonesia. Using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, this study is significant for the quality of the data obtained through field visits, in-depth surveys, and interviews with the affected local community, representing different subsistence groups and socio-economic-political stratifications. This study found that both economic and local socio-political factors influenced the local community’s acceptance of suction dredging. Compensation provided a compelling reason to agree to license mining activity. The key reasons for opposing suction dredging included resource depletion and deterioration, reduction in the quantity and price of fish, and difficulties associated with finding alternative livelihoods. Most of the net-fishing community disagreed with suction dredging, but the local political system stifled their opposition. The lack of fair decision-making processes for these licenses is indicative of an immature democracy.

The role of stakeholder perceptions and institutions for marine reserve efficacy in the Midriff Islands Region, Gulf of California, Mexico

Governance of marine resources underscores the role of social, economic, and political objectives in achieving conservation outcomes. Marine protected areas, specifically no-take areas (NTAs) where all extractive uses are prohibited, are now widely-used to promote sustainable fisheries and protect marine biodiversity. However, no-take areas have had mixed success, and the governance structures that determine success are not well understood. The institutional, social, economic, and political context of the no-take areas and the response of resource users to their establishment are rarely considered in establishing marine reserves. In developing countries with high levels of poverty and low enforcement capacity, harvest practices rarely adhere to formal laws and regulations. As a consequence, many no-take areas have become “paper parks” that fail to provide ecological and social benefits. In this paper, we use the Coupled-Infrastructure System (CIS) framework to explore the problem of “paper parks” by assessing stakeholder perceptions, preferences, and levels of knowledge on NTAs within a regional system of three no-take areas in the Gulf of California, Mexico. Using structured interviews, we found differences in perceptions about the use of NTAs for conservation of biodiversity and management of fisheries, misconceptions about the location of current NTAs, and problems of non-compliance behavior. We identify a weak relationship between the perception of NTAs by the resource users and the way in which current NTA tools operate in Mexico. Consequently, anticipated success based on the mere presence of the NTA and its regulations is hindered by how the resource users interact with the resource itself, but more importantly by what leads up to this hindrance. A focus on this weakness in the CIS system is critical to achieving NTA objectives.

Supporting blue economy agenda: fisheries, food security and climate change in the Indian Ocean

ABSTRACTThe Indian Ocean region includes large ocean areas and a range of continental and island States with diverse legal systems, development status and political agendas. From a legal perspective, the challenges of regulating fisheries in such contexts are significant. Yet if blue economy goals are to be achieved – and food security, livelihoods and economies based on fishery resources assured – then sustainable management and utilization must be a priority. The imperative is clear when environmental degradation, the impacts of climate change and growing populations are taken into account. This article explores marine resource governance in the Indian Ocean, the legal landscape relevant to the management of fisheries, as well as selected national law and policy approaches. Thereafter recommendations are made for advancing law and policy to achieve blue economy goals, address pressures and ensure food security and livelihoods for future generations.

An assessment of governance of marine and coastal resources on Koh Tao, Thailand

This was the first assessment of marine and coastal resource governance on Koh Tao, a small island in the Western Gulf of Thailand. The study assessed perceptions of governance of marine and coastal resources among national and provincial authorities and Koh Tao residents on the basis of governance components − law, institutions and process − and governance principles − transparency, participation, rule of law, accountability and access to justice. Governance to deal with the anticipated continued growth in marine-based tourism is challenged. The study identified misunderstandings about governance and governance weaknesses, which, if they are not addressed, will be obstacles to the future sustainable development of Koh Tao. The research findings indicate that supporting local governance will be key to maintaining sustainable use of marine and coastal resources on the island and ensuring the sustainability of the local economy, which depends on these resources. We suggest a number of recommendations that can apply generally in countries wishing to conserve marine and coastal biodiversity and use those resources sustainably on coasts and islands.

“Living with our backs to the sea”: A critical analysis of marine and coastal governance in Guatemala

Guatemala's rich coastal and marine biodiversity provides essential ecosystem goods and services to local residents and the national economy through artisanal and commercial fisheries, aquaculture, port exports and, to a lesser extent, tourism. As in many other countries, national policies emphasise the significance of marine conservation and marine resources, primarily through implementing marine protected areas (MPAs). However, this assumes that governance, as reflected in legal, institutional and organizational frameworks, political capacity and human resources is sufficiently developed to ensure MPAs meet these goals. These issues are explored through presenting the first detailed analysis of coastal and marine governance in Guatemala. The research highlights a range of barriers to good governance which restrict the extent to which MPAs can function effectively. Recommendations are made which can capitalise upon the potential for locally managed marine areas as a means to facilitate the improved governance of coastal and marine resources in Guatemala.

Perceptions of ecosystem services and benefits to human well-being from community-based marine protected areas in Kenya

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have historically been implemented and managed in a top-down way, excluding resource-dependent users from planning and management. In response to conflict and non-compliance, the governance of marine resources is increasingly embracing community-based approaches, assuming that by putting communities at the forefront of planning and management, participation will increase, causing positive social and ecological impacts. Given the relative newness of community-based MPAs, this study explores how resource users perceive their impacts on ecosystem services (ES) and human well-being (HWB). This study explores two community-based MPAs called tengefus in Kenya using mixed qualitative methods, including a participatory photography method called photovoice. Participation in and donor support for tengefus influences how resource users perceived tengefus and their impacts on ES and HWB. Individuals who were engaged in the tengefu from the inception or held official positions perceived more positive impacts on ES and HWB compared to those not as involved. Tengefus were often viewed by communities as attractors for external support and funding, positively influencing attitudes and feelings towards conservation. One site, the first tengefu in Kenya, had more external support and was surrounded by positive perceptions, while the other site had little external support and was surrounded by more conflict and mixed perceptions. This study exemplifies the complex social-political dynamics that MPAs create and are embedded within. Community-based MPA initiatives could benefit from ensuring widespread engagement throughout the inception, implementation and management, recognizing and managing expectations around donor support, and not assuming that benefits spillover throughout the community.

Relations between professional groups in the Atlantic and Mediterranean fishing enclaves of Andalusia (Spain): A personal networks approach with clustered graphs

This paper proposes a new network-based approach to analyse intergroup relations in fishing ports. The technique of clustered graphs is applied to the case of the Andalusian fishing ports to assess the balance between intra and inter-professional relationships. The patterns of sociability in Mediterranean and Atlantic fishing enclaves in the southern region of Spain were compared, examining their implications for participatory governance of marine resources. The personal networks of 53 fishermen, ship owners or skippers and key individuals of 18 Andalusian fisheries were analysed. The personal networks were compared in terms of fishing ground (Atlantic versus Mediterranean) and port type (by size and form of participation). The data of 45 individuals with whom each respondent usually interacts in the harbour was summarised in clustered graphs of intra-group and inter-group relationships between 8 professional roles in the harbour. Results show primarily that personal networks of Mediterranean ports are overall denser, in comparison with those of the Atlantic, which are more centralised and have a higher average betweenness. Secondly, in the Atlantic a clear difference of roles between ship owners and skippers is observed. A strong link between ship owners and the crew was found, and also between the ship owner and commercial roles in the Mediterranean. Small ports seem to be more apt for the artisanalisation of fisheries, as well as for the European Union’s Common Fisheries Policy.

Towards local governance of marine resources and ecosystems on Easter Island

Abstract Social‐ecological system sustainability depends in part upon the fit between ecosystems and institutions. In 2014, the local community on Easter Island started a bottom‐up process to improve marine resources conservation and management. Local stakeholders formed a working group that has regular meetings and goals, such as creating a sea council and some basic action plans, thus initiating a local governance transformation process. A participatory process was conducted together with a local organization that led the marine conservation issues on the island to define the factors that could favour and/or undermine the formation of the sea council. Also, the stakeholders that must be present in such a sea council were identified. Twelve factors that could facilitate or hinder the implementation of a sea council were identified. The lack of representativeness of public institutions is a major challenge. Public institutions are designed to ensure compliance with central government strategies, but the decisions do not represent the worldview of islanders. The results showed the potential value of conducting a participatory process to identify the key issues that could hinder or favour a desired governance transformation process. The participatory process also highlighted governance mismatches that are important to consider in attempts to pursue more effective fishery governance on Easter Island, and other Island communities. Centralized governance systems do not respond rapidly to locally observed social and ecological dynamics. By contrast, a local decision‐making system based on traditional laws and local governance can more rapidly respond to observed changes. The participatory process presented here holds the potential to support local people in their planning and coordination for marine conservation and management in order to optimize bottom‐up change processes involving multiple stakeholders with different interests, values and levels of power. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Introduction to special issue: Arctic marine resource governance

Arctic marine resource governance is analyzed under overarching themes that include: Global Management and Institutions for Arctic Marine Resources, Resource Stewards and Users: Local and Indigenous Co-management, Development and Governance, Multi-scale, Ecosystem-based, Arctic Marine Resource Management. Six papers present the thematic analyses built on respected theory from various disciplines with empirical applications across five Arctic countries (Russia, Canada, U. S., Iceland, Norway) and the Central Arctic Ocean. The timing of this special issue is ideal since one theme of the U. S. chairmanship of the Arctic Council is stewardship of the Arctic Ocean with a focus on marine environmental protection, Arctic ocean acidification, Arctic indigenous people as well as search and rescue.

English

In near-shores of Vietnam, there are increasing spatial conflicts among different fishing gear operators as a result of declining and overfishing of small-scale fisheries recently. A challenge facing both small fishers and local governments is identifying more appropriate marine resource governance and public policies to deal with conflicts in the interests of short-term economic feasibility as well as long-term sustainability. This study presents perceived spatial conflicts and priorities in the near-shore seascape of Hoai Nhon district (Binh Dinh, Vietnam). Participatory GIS and questionnaires for local fishers were used to collect data on fishery resources, spatial seascape, spatial conflicts and priorities. Likert scale’s weighted mean (wMean), and consensus measure (CnS) were applied to rank spatial conflicts and priorities. The results show that, conflicts among fishing gear operators were ranked at the high level, and no conflict was really serious. The highest conflicts were between trawl operator and others, particularly with baby lobster trap in rocky-reefs. Trawl operations were ranked the lowest priority because of its serious negative impact on fishery resources and other fishing gears. Sustainable fishery management for study area requires the comparative analyses about spatial conflicts before making implementation. A marine spatial planning (MSP) or an integrated spatial planning (ISP) at local scale is considered essential for the study area by focusing on the result of ranking priority of fishing gear operators over each small spatial marine area. Key words: Spatial conflict, spatial priority, small-scale fishery, seascape, marine spatial area, Central Coast Vietnam.

Ecosystem monitoring for ecosystem‐based management: using a polycentric approach to balance information trade‐offs

Ecosystem monitoring for ecosystem‐based management: using a polycentric approach to balance information trade‐offs

Of exploited reefs and fishers – A holistic view on participatory coastal and marine management in an Indonesian archipelago

This paper arises from a four-year Indonesian-German research cooperation on the governance and management of Indonesian coastal and marine ecosystems. Project objectives were to investigate coastal and marine social-ecological dynamics and feedbacks and to analyse socio-political and institutional structures and processes in order to support adaptive coastal governance. Participating researchers worked in the Spermonde Archipelago, off South Sulawesi, Indonesia, between 2007 and 2010. Methods included ship-based research excursions, several classical surveys, anthropological participant observation, and participatory research methods applied by an interdisciplinary social-natural science team. This paper summarises our findings and draws policy conclusions. First, we discuss Marine Protected Areas and participation focussing on local “rules-in-use”. In addition, reef exploitation and local livelihoods, in particular fisheries and mariculture, and the existing social networks and hierarchies in fisheries are explored to understand social vulnerability, resilience and marine resource governance in the context of the Spermonde Archipelago. An outline of major policy recommendations concludes this article.

Spatial issues in Arctic marine resource governance workshop summary and comment

The rapidly changing Arctic marine ecosystems face new challenges and opportunities that are increasing and shifting governance needs in the region. A group of economists, ecologists, biologists, political scientists and resource managers met in Stockholm, SE, Sept 4–6, 2014 to discuss the governance of Arctic marine resources in a spatial context. We report on the findings here.

Adaptive governance of the Baltic Sea - lessons from elsewhere

Governance of marine resources is increasingly characterized by integrated, cross sectoral and ecosystem based approaches. Such approaches require that existing governing bodies have an ability to ...

Marine resource management: Culture, livelihoods, and governance

The management of marine resources is a politically and culturally driven process, shaped by human livelihoods and perceptions, where notions of both space and place shape policies and decision-making in fundamental ways. An emerging sub-field within geography critically explores geographic aspects of marine resource management. However, there has been little work to fully articulate this field and to describe the contributions of geographic methodologies and lenses to understanding marine resource management processes. This special issue provides one of the first collections of geographic papers focused on the socio-cultural and socio-spatial dimensions of marine resource management, emphasizing research that has or can be applied to management and policy discussions. The papers in this issue cover critical topics within this emerging field, examining the combined influences of social, ecological, cultural, political, economic, historical, and geographic factors on how marine spaces and resources are used, perceived, and managed. Important themes include: emerging spatial approaches to marine resource management, human dimensions of marine protected areas, the roles of mapping and GIS, the integration of quantitative and qualitative data, and the varying ways in which marine spaces and places are conceptualized by marine resource users and managers. Issues of marine resource governance, community engagement, and vulnerability also play key roles in the future of marine resource management. The papers in this issue shed light on space, place, and human-environment interactions in coastal marine systems, making it clear that questions about stakeholder inclusion and representation, particularly in spatial forms, will continue to dominate the field for some time to come. Future research in this field will be fruitfully informed by core geographical heuristics of space, place, and human-environment dynamics.

BaMBa: towards the integrated management of Brazilian marine environmental data.

A new open access database, Brazilian Marine Biodiversity (BaMBa) (https://marinebiodiversity.lncc.br), was developed in order to maintain large datasets from the Brazilian marine environment. Essentially, any environmental information can be added to BaMBa. Certified datasets obtained from integrated holistic studies, comprising physical–chemical parameters, -omics, microbiology, benthic and fish surveys can be deposited in the new database, enabling scientific, industrial and governmental policies and actions to be undertaken on marine resources. There is a significant number of databases, however BaMBa is the only integrated database resource both supported by a government initiative and exclusive for marine data. BaMBa is linked to the Information System on Brazilian Biodiversity (SiBBr, http://www.sibbr.gov.br/) and will offer opportunities for improved governance of marine resources and scientists’ integration.Database URL: http://marinebiodiversity.lncc.br

History of benthic research in the English Channel: From general patterns of communities to habitat mosaic description

Benthic studies in the English Channel (EC), a shallow megatidal and epicontinental sea, began in the 1960s and 1970s with the work of teams led by Norman Holme (UK) and Louis Cabioch (F). During this period, benthic sampling was mainly qualitative, i.e. using a device such as the ‘Rallier du Baty’ dredge in the case of the French team and a modified anchor dredge in the case of the British team. Studies were focused on acquiring knowledge of the main distributions of benthic communities and species. Surveys on the scale of the whole EC led to the recognition of general features and two main patterns were identified: 1) the role of hydrodynamics on the spatial distribution of sediment, benthic species and communities; 2) the presence of a west–east climatic gradient of faunal impoverishment. Benthic studies in the 1980s–1990s were focused on the beginning of the implementation of long-term survey at a limited number of sites to identify seasonal and multi-annual changes. In the first decade of the 2000s, the implementation of the European Water Framework Directive and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive to define the Ecological Quality Status of marine environments increased the need to acquire better information of the structure and functioning of benthic communities, since benthic species and habitats were recognised as good indicators of human pressure on marine ecosystems. Faced with the increase of human maritime activities, the appearance of invasive species and the need to preserve sensitive marine habitats, benthic studies have been focused on developing a ‘toolkit’ to help in the decision-making and planning for both sound governance and sustainable management of marine resources and human activities in the English Channel. Multidisciplinary approaches were used to differentiate habitats in a more precise detail. Both indirect (side-scan sonar, ROV) and direct (grab sampling with benthos identification and grain-size analyses) approaches were used and combined to allow the description of benthic habitats using numerous descriptors. These approaches were mainly applied on a local scale, leading to the identification of habitat mosaics mainly in coarse sands, gravels and pebbly areas which cover 80% of the EC seabed. They also allowed the enrichment of the EUNIS habitat classification for infralittoral and circalittoral zones taking into account the scale of observations of benthic habitats. Moreover, several recommendations for future benthic studies are proposed within a HABITAT approach.

The role of sustained observations in tracking impacts of environmental change on marine biodiversity and ecosystems.

Marine biodiversity currently faces unprecedented threats from multiple pressures arising from human activities. Global drivers such as climate change and ocean acidification interact with regional eutrophication, exploitation of commercial fish stocks and localized pressures including pollution, coastal development and the extraction of aggregates and fuel, causing alteration and degradation of habitats and communities. Segregating natural from anthropogenically induced change in marine ecosystems requires long-term, sustained observations of marine biota. In this review, we outline the history of biological recording in the coastal and shelf seas of the UK and Ireland and highlight where sustained observations have contributed new understanding of how anthropogenic activities have impacted on marine biodiversity. The contributions of sustained observations, from those collected at observatories, single station platforms and multiple-site programmes to the emergent field of multiple stressor impacts research, are discussed, along with implications for management and sustainable governance of marine resources in an era of unprecedented use of the marine environment.

Understanding Characteristics that Define the Feasibility of Conservation Actions in a Common Pool Marine Resource Governance System

AbstractEffective conservation requires people to make choices about how they interact with the environment. Social characteristics influence the likelihood of establishing conservation actions with strong compliance (hereafter “feasibility”), but are rarely considered in conservation planning. Our study makes two contributions to understand feasibility. First, we explicitly test the associations between social characteristics and the presence and form of resource management. Second, we compare the ability of different types of data to elucidate feasibility. We use Ostrom's (2007) thinking on social–ecological systems and literature on resource management in Melanesia to create a context‐specific framework to identify social characteristics that influence feasibility for conservation management. We then apply this framework and test for associations between the presence and form of management on one hand and social characteristics on the other, using data collected at different resolutions. We found that conservation feasibility was associated with characteristics of the governance system, users, and the social, economic, and political setting. Villages with different forms of management were more similar to each other socially than to villages without management. Social data collected at the resolution of households accounted for over double the variation in the form and presence of management compared to data at the resolution of villages. Our methods can be adapted to conservation planning initiatives in other socioeconomic settings.