Low optimal fisheries yield creates challenges for sustainability in a climate refugia

McClanahan, T. R.; Kosgei, J. K.

doi:10.1111/csp2.13043

Cited by 3 publications

References 56 publications

(120 reference statements)

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Downscaling global reference points to assess the sustainability of local fisheries

Zamborain-Mason,

Connolly,

MacNeil

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Multispecies coral reef fisheries are typically managed by local communities who often lack research and monitoring capacity, which prevents estimation of well-defined sustainable reference points to perform locally relevant fishery assessments. Recent global advances in modelling coral reef fisheries have developed pathways to use environmental indicators to estimate multispecies sustainable reference points. These global reference points are a promising tool for assessing data-poor reef fisheries but need to be downscaled to be relevant to resource practitioners. Here, using a small-scale multispecies reef fishery from Papua New Guinea, we estimate sustainable reference points and assess the sustainability of the fishery by integrating global-scale analyses with local-scale environmental conditions, fish catch, reef area, standing biomass estimates, and fishers’ perceptions. We found that assessment results from global models applied to the local context of our study location provided results consistent with local fishers’ perceptions. Specifically, our downscaled results suggest that the fishing community is overfishing their reef fish stocks (i.e., catching more than can be sustained) and stocks are below BMMSY(i.e., below biomass levels that maximize production), making the overall reef fishery unsustainable. These results were consistent with fisher perceptions that reef fish stocks were declining in abundance and mean fish length, and that they had to spend more time finding fish. Our downscaled site-level assessment reveals severe local resource exploitation, whose dynamics are masked in national-scale assessments, emphasizing the importance of matching assessments to the scale of management. More broadly, our study shows how global reference points can be applied locally when long-term data are not available, providing baseline assessments for sustainably managing previously un-assessed multispecies reef fisheries around the globe.

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Downscaling global reference points to assess the sustainability of local fisheries

Zamborain-Mason,

Connolly,

MacNeil

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Stimulating the capacity to govern the commons

McClanahan,

Oddenyo

2024

Conservation Biology

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The ability to strengthen governance institutions and fisheries restrictions and laws is needed to improve conservation and management of common‐pool resources. We evaluated the potential for stimulating change with modest interventions by studying fishing village households before and after a 27‐month intervention period in a high‐priority coral reef conservation area. Interventions included training in catch monitoring, stock assessment, mapping fishing grounds, microcredit, gender inclusion, theatrical skills, fuel efficient stoves, and participation in the planning of a conservation proposal. There was a background increase in reported formal education, household size, group membership, and household wealth but a decrease in fish consumption and public services. Of conservation importance, the perceived strength of 13 governance institutions and benefits of 6 fisheries restrictions increased over the intervention period. Finally, correspondence between knowledge of and agreement with recent national fisheries laws was moderate to high and positively correlated. The intervention period was stronger than demographic factors that often influence perceptions, such as village, government services, gender, household size, membership in community groups, and age responses. In general, perceptions of strengths of governance and benefits of restrictions increased more among women and youth than adult men respondents. The largest changes in perceptions of increased benefits were among strict restrictions initially ranked low, specifically fisheries closures, parks, and species restrictions. Consequently, capacity building overrode demographic factors common to poor people with limited employment capacity that can have negative perceptions of strict conservation.

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A rapid approach to assessing the vulnerability of Mozambican fisheries’ species to climate change

Fennessy,

Quick,

Mutombene

et al. 2024

PLOS Clim

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Mozambique is amongst the most vulnerable of Western Indian Ocean (WIO] countries to the impacts of climate change on its marine fisheries. We used rapid assessment methods to evaluate sensitivity, exposure and vulnerability of fisheries species to climate change, appropriate for data-deficient, developing countries in the region. Species were selected based on their importance in industrial and artisanal fisheries’ landings, further prioritized by local experts. Species’ attributes likely to be sensitive to climate change were identified and scored, utilizing life history or biological characteristics. Sea Surface Temperature (SST] was the most prominent climate exposure factor and for which we could confidently predict likely future change. Most species had low or medium overall sensitivity to climate change, with only eight considered highly sensitive. Climate exposure (SST] scores were high off northern Mozambique, while the central and southern regions were generally of medium exposure. Ten species received a High vulnerability score, 14 were Medium, and 16 had a Low vulnerability score. The highly vulnerable species were all fishes, apart from one crustacean; 4 of the 9 were strongly estuarine-associated; the most vulnerable species was the parrotfish Scarus ghobban. This is the first attempt to use a rapid, semi-quantitative, specialist- and trait-based vulnerability assessment of the anticipated effect of climate change on marine fisheries species in the WIO. Challenges experienced were data paucity, limited resources, the large study area, and the complex oceanography of the region. However, a simple methodology was developed, derived from efforts elsewhere, and which can be used to undertake similar assessments for other WIO countries. Raised awareness of climate change among small-scale fishing communities is a necessity, combined with adaptation by promoting fisheries co-management. Also required is support from government to ensure that people can be flexible to change.

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Low optimal fisheries yield creates challenges for sustainability in a climate refugia

Cited by 3 publications

References 56 publications

Downscaling global reference points to assess the sustainability of local fisheries

Downscaling global reference points to assess the sustainability of local fisheries

Stimulating the capacity to govern the commons

A rapid approach to assessing the vulnerability of Mozambican fisheries’ species to climate change

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