Fishers' perceptions as indicators of the performance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

Abstract

How users perceive the performance of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is fundamental for the social acceptance of these zones. Moreover, their perceptions may be relevant for monitoring the effects of MPAs on extractive activities. This study analyzes artisanal fishers' perceptions of the performance of a north-western Mediterranean coastal MPA, which encompasses two no-take zones (NTZs). Three viewpoints have been considered: the effect on the personal activity of fishers, the effect on the local fishery and the effect on the ecosystem. In order to test the hypothesis that biomass export (spillover) - which had previously been evidenced from the two NTZs - may influence fishers' perceptions of NTZ effects, fishers' perceptions were compared with both declared and observed fishing activity over an one-year period.;The results show that negative perceptions of NTZs are either nil or are negligible. Most fishers are aware of the beneficial effects of NTZs on ecosystems and fisheries. However, they remain to be convinced of the beneficial effects of the NTZs on their own activity. For instance, the proximity of a NTZ appears never to be involved in the choice of a fishing spot. This partial lack of correspondence between scientific expectation and fishers' perceptions is discussed in the light of fishing habits in the zone adjacent to NTZs, and takes into account fishing grounds, targeted species and seniority (defined as the number of years the fisher has been fishing within the MPA). All three factors appear to influence fishers' perceptions. For example, having a positive perception about a NTZ and spending more time fishing in the adjacent zone are habits that can be associated with fishers with less seniority. Fishers' perceptions obviously indicate the social acceptance of the MPA and are an essential monitoring tool for MPA managers. However, perceptions cannot be seen as a substitute for scientific monitoring, as both approaches are clearly complementary. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Áreas Protegidas Marinho-Costeiras De Santa Catarina Sob a Perspectiva Das Populações Locais: Contribuições Da Literatura

“…The economic domain involves the influence of the PAs in the income generating activities of the local people. It encompasses activities such as tourism (ZUBE & BUSCH, 1990;SEKHAR, 2003;KISS, 2004;KARANTH & NEPAL, 2012), animal and plant extractivism, plant cultivation, and raising animals for sale or consumption (ZUBE & BUSCH, 1990;MASCIA et al, 2010;KARANTH & NEPAL, 2012;LELEU, 2012). The environmental domain refers to the awareness of the local people about the importance of the PAs for environmental quality, changes in the abundance and composition of species, and changes in the environments and landscapes (LELEU, 2012;RESSURREIÇÃO, 2012).…”

“…This domain also covers environmental issues and potential conflicts between conservation and local activities. The spatial domain deals with the problems and issues related to territorial regularization, including the people's perceptions of the influence of the PAs in the use and occupation of the territory (ZUBE & BUSCH, 1990;LELEU, 2012). The organizational domain refers to the process of creation of the PAs, the performance of the managing agency in the communities, organization of the populations and their participation in the management of PAs (ZUBE & BUSCH, 1990;WELLS et al, 1992;BROOKS et al, 2006;GERHARDINGER et al, 2009;ANDRADE & RHODES, 2012;KARANTH & NEPAL, 2012).…”

“…Disagreements with the laws concerning the conservation of species were also reported by fishermen in EEC, who do not agree with the area covered by the EEC because this PA does not protect the fish nurseries, thus not being effective for their conservation (INSTITUTO CARIJÓS, 2008). Perceptions of local residents reflect the acceptance of the PAs and also serve as tools to monitor their management (LELEU, 2012). The dissatisfaction with the design of the PA, the incoherence of the ban on fishing in certain areas (without a clear ecological function from fishermen's perspectives), the permission to use breeding areas, and the intensification of illegal fishing inside the PAs can be seen as reflections of the negligence of the local ecological knowledge in the formulation of management rules.…”

“…Gerhardinger and colleagues (2009) point out that in Brazil the management of marine PAs continues to be guided solely by scientific knowledge, which is often incomplete even for major conservation targets. Local and scientific ecological knowledge should be seen as complementary in the process of managing these areas (LELEU, 2012).…”

Biodiversity of Reef Fishes in Marine Protected Area of Karimunjawa National Park

“…SK 28/IV/Set/2012 (BTNKJ, 2014;Yuliana et al, 2016a). Penetapan zona inti dan perlindungan penting dilakukan untuk melindungi sumber daya kelautan dan perikanan (Velez et al, 2014;Leleu et al, 2012).…”