Positive catch and economic benefits of periodic octopus fishery closures: do effective, narrowly targeted actions ‘catalyze’ broader management?

Abstract

Eight years of octopus fishery records from southwest Madagascar reveal significant positive impacts from 36 periodic closures on: (a) fishery catches and (b) village fishery income, such that (c) economic benefits from increased landings outweigh costs of foregone catch. Closures covered ~20% of a village’s fished area and lasted 2-7 months. Fishery catches from each closed site: Octopus landings and catch per unit effort (CPUE) significantly increased in the 30 days following a closure’s reopening, relative to the 30 days before a closure (landings: +718%, p<0.0001; CPUE: +87%, p<0.0001; n=36). Open-access control sites showed no before/after change when they occurred independently of other management (“no ban”, n=17/36). On the other hand, open-access control sites showed modest catch increases when they extended a 6-week seasonal fishery shutdown (“ban”, n=19/36). The seasonal fishery shutdown affects the entire region, so confound all potential control sites. Fishery income in implementing villages: In villages implementing a closure, octopus fishery income doubled in the 30 days after a closure, relative to 30 days before (+132%, p<0.001, n=28). Control villages not implementing a closure showed no increase in income after “no ban” closures and modest increases after “ban” closures. Villages did not show a significant decline in income during closure events. Net economic benefits from each closed site: Landings in closure sites generated more revenue than simulated landings assuming continued open-access fishing at that site (27/36 show positive net earnings; mean +$305/closure; mean +57.7% monthly). Benefits accrued faster than local fishers’ time preferences during 17-27 of the 36 closures. High reported rates of illegal fishing during closures correlated with poor economic performance. We discuss the implications of our findings for broader co-management arrangements, particularly for catalyzing more comprehensive management.

Conservation needs exposed by variability in common‐pool governance principles

“…For example, most marine managed areas in Madagascar and Mozambique are funded by either large or private international donors, trusts, and nongovernment conservation and poverty alleviation organizations—forms of polycentric governance (Oliver et al. ; Gill et al. ).…”

Bridging the divide: Social–ecological coherence in Marine Protected Area network design

“…Some accounts emerging from the academic literature demonstrate how supporting studies that document the ecological, social, and economic impacts of MPA management measures (i.e. proof of the societal benefits of protection) can convince stakeholders of the efficacy of areas with higher protection levels (Erisman et al, ; Oliver et al, ; Rees et al, ; Vandeperre et al, ). From a community perspective, these sites are essentially ‘control sites’ that support experimental design to robustly demonstrate the impact of management measures on the ecological system (e.g.…”

Salty stories, fresh spaces: Lessons for aquatic protected areas from marine and freshwater experiences

“…In the marine case study of the Velondriake Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) in Madagascar, the short lifespan and reproductive patterns of the target species, the reef octopus ( Octopus cyanea ), favours management in periodic closures, or temporary bans on harvesting in a designated area (Table ). Given the 12‐to‐15‐month post‐settlement lifespan of the octopus, brief closures of 2–3 months can boost daily fisher catch by almost 90% in the month after reopening (Oliver et al, ). MPAs and FPAs could exchange strategies based on the management of short‐lived or long‐lived species, as life history determines the time scale of expected responses to protection, and should inform the timing of long‐term monitoring.…”

“…The changes were made, and the resulting revision enhanced the legitimacy of the zoning plan among local stakeholders. This experience highlighted the pre‐eminence of community attitudes and perceptions over biophysical considerations in developing a zoning plan, emphasizing the need to consult local stakeholders from the beginning (Cripps & Harris, ; Harris, ; Oliver et al, ). In the freshwater case studies from Lao PDR and Indawgyi Lake in Myanmar (Table ), the facilitating organizations held consultation meetings with communities to seek stakeholder input and approval (Loury & Ounboundisane, ).…”

“…To sustain motivation over the long term, it is also important that communities recognize benefits from management. In a marine example from the Velondriake LMMA in Madagascar, initial attempts by the government to establish conservation activities were unsuccessful because the highly impoverished community perceived the short‐term costs of marine protection (loss of a primary food source and income) to outweigh the future benefits (Oliver et al, ). However, the introduction of short‐term reef closures rapidly boosted fisher catches and incomes from Octopus cyanea , demonstrating the benefits of local management.…”