Management challenges of small‐scale fishing communities in a protected reef system of Veracruz, Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Socioeconomic characterisation of fishing activities in the Veracruz Reef System National Park was used to develop a management system which balances the communityÕs livelihood, and the conservation needs of the protected area. A survey was applied to four sectors of the fishing community: the fishers, fishersÕ wives, retailers and local population. The survey determined their perceptions about: (1) fishing as a lifestyle; (2) economic alternatives;(3) perspectives about the future; (4) environment; and (5) knowledge of the National Park as a protected area. Fishers devoted an average of 27 years fishing, investing an average of 12 h per day giving a regular income of 15-20 US$. Most interviewed (60%) were full-time fishers, with fishing the only family income source. Fishers are predominately educated to primary school level (64%).The main problem faced by fishers and the communities were economic opportunities but 89% believed that mariculture could be an alternative income source. There was strong ecological awareness, with 75% aware of the decline in fisheries resource and 62% knowing about the role of protected areas. There was divided opinion about future perspectives. Inefficient organisation and communication between authorities and fishers were identified as obstacles to co-management. Discussion on alternative incomes and a proposal involve fishers in co-management initiatives are presented.

Small-scale marine fisheries in the municipal district of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…Interviewed fishers informed that fish icing onboard is rare, due to the low temperatures in the harvesting season and fast transportation to the landing sites. The lack of fish conservation on board was observed by Jiménez-Badillo (2008) in Veracruz (Mexico), by Rodrigues et al (1998) for some fishers of the Bay of Babitonga (SC) and by Severo (2008) in the Beach of Pinheira (SC). Bail and Branco (2007) observed that 49% of the shrimp fishers in Praia da Penha (SC) do not use any type of conservation and 42% just use ice.…”

The Shark Reef Marine Reserve: a marine tourism project in Fiji involving local communities

“…Artisanal inshore reef fisheries provide a vital source of food and income for many coastal communities, and living standards in such communities are directly or indirectly linked to small-scale fisheries (Jiménez-Badillo, 2008;Kronen, 2004;Souter & Lindén, 2000). At the same time, artisanal fisheries have the potential to transform reefs in ways that compromise their ecological and economic values (Bascompte, Melián, & Sala, 2005;Carr, Anderson, & Hixo¨n, 2002;Dulvy, Freckleton, & Polunin, 2004;Hawkins & Roberts, 2004).…”

From measuring outcomes to providing inputs: Governance, management, and local development for more effective marine protected areas

“…Policies that support effective management and natural-resource dependent livelihoods include clear rules of access and territorial rights, recognition of title/tenure, laws to support enforcement, legal mechanisms to support and guarantee meaningful participation in design and implementation, and clarity of MPA objectives [11,40,54,55,116,[118][119][120][121]. Congruence is also required between formal regulations, informal rules, and customary norms and practice [120], facilitated by policies that support the incorporation of local management systems and rules into MPA management and regulations [122,123].…”

“…However, fisheries benefits may be unequally shared among groups within and between communities [52,53]. Though MPAs may benefit local fisheries in the long term, in the short term compensation or alternative livelihood options need to be considered since displacement of rights to access the resource can lead to short-term hardships [50,54,55]. Diversification into alternative livelihoods may also reduce overall pressure on fisheries and the resource base [56].…”

“…Mechanisms to ensure that benefits are shared equitably and that leakage of financial and employment benefits is minimized need to be put into place [69,74,75,89,153,173,174]. A wide variety of organizations at various scales can have important roles to play in ensuring that development programs are successful [73,111]-including international NGOs acting as intermediaries in PES projects [126], businesses identifying development opportunities [76], and community and user associations advocating for local people [55]. Productive relationships with private sector partners -for example, through the development of private-sector developed 'Entrepreneurial MPAs' [171,175]-may also benefit local communities through the payment of coral reef leases by hotels or diving companies for diving in trade for exclusion of fishers' withdrawal and access rights and patrolling services see also [180].…”