MacKay, Kenneth T Managing fisheries for biodiversity: Case studies of community approaches to fish reserves among the Small Island States of the Pacific. Global Environmental Facility (GEF).
Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)Abstract
The small island states of the tropical Pacific Ocean have limited land area yet considerable ocean resources. The population relies on the inshore fisheries for food and income. This fishery is complex, multi-species, and multi-gear, pursued by large numbers of fishers. Data, relevant research and enforcement are severely limited. Anecdotal evidence suggests overfishing on a number of stocks and many of the most valuable and vulnerable species are already extinct. Conventional fisheries management has not been effective. Elsewhere, ecosystem approaches involving closed areas such as fish reserves have assisted in sustaining fisheries and conserving biodiversity. In the Pacific this ecosystem approach has been combined with traditional systems. This paper describes the ra’ui system from Rarotonga, Cook Islands, a Marine Protected Area from Ono, Fiji and village reserves in Samoa. The fish reserves have been effective in increasing biomass and biodiversity. Local communities have implemented them, decided the location, the rules and management. Traditional leaders have played critical roles, while NGOs and fisheries departments have facilitated. The reserves allow harvest flexibility to match socio-cultural concerns and are evolving from short-term food banks to longer term closed areas. The village reserves are small but the network of reserves is significant and increasing. Compliance is high. Traditional sanctions appear to allow enforcement of compliance on community members but outside legitimisation is needed for compliance by outsiders. Village by-laws are used in Samoa, a simple legal instrument is being developed in Fiji while in the Cook Islands traditional respect is sufficient. These cases are but a few of the systems in the Pacific that are combining traditional and scientific management. There is a need to continue to document and share these success stories.
| Item Type: | Documents |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Fisheries Management, Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD), Inshore Fisheries, Vulnerable Species, Cook Islands, Income |
| Subjects: | Biodiversity |
| Depositing User: | Kokila ICSF Krish |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Oct 2024 04:22 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Oct 2024 04:22 |
| URI: | http://icsfarchives.net/id/eprint/20507 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
