Equity and access in marine protected areas: The history and future of ‘traditional indigenous fishing’ in the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument

Marine protected areas (MPAs) – or sections of the ocean set aside where human activities such as fishing are restricted – have been growing in popularity as a marine conservation tool. As a result, it is important to examine the socioeconomic consequences of MPAs and how they may affect nearby communities. This study explores social and equity issues surrounding the designation of the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument, an MPA that includes protections around the three most northern islands in the US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI). We gathered oral history interviews with 40 individuals from CMNI and Guam who had connections to the waters in the newly-designated MPA and reviewed key documents in order to (1) document historical and current use of the waters in the MPA and (2) consider the implications that proposed fishing regulations in the MPA may have for the local communities. Our study documented 129 trips to visit the waters in the MPA in living memory. We found that due to distance, trips to the MPA waters were rare but culturally significant events that provided residents from CNMI and Guam with connections to their indigenous roots. Regulation of fishing in the new MPA has the potential to directly and indirectly restrict local access to these culturally important waters. This research highlights the importance of better collaboration with local partners and better consideration of social and equity concerns in the siting and regulation of MPAs.     

A Sense of Place in Cultural Ecosystem Services: The Case of Cornish Fishing Communities

Fishing communities in Europe are facing significant challenges due to policy measures aimed at reducing fishing effort in order to cope with the “crisis” in key stocks. While it is imperative to ensure sustainability of the resource, such policies may overlook the contribution of fisheries to the social and cultural well-being of coastal communities. This article explores the contribution that sense of place can make to understanding the relationship between fishing and cultural ecosystem services, drawing on case studies from Cornwall, southwest England. Through semistructured interviews with fishing community stakeholders we outline how fishing contributes to sense of place in terms of individual and community identities, as well as a particular place character associated with the physical presence of fishing. We suggest that a co-constructionist account of the relationship between sea and land can provide a starting point for understanding the cultural landscape that emerges as a result of fishing.     

Community Cohesion: Social and Economic Ties in the Personal Networks of Fisherfolk

Social ties influence access to knowledge and cooperation in natural resource management, with the sharing of certain characteristics thought to be positive for social cohesion and participatory forms of management. In this article, a holistic characterisation of fisherfolk personal networks is developed, disaggregating results by the main occupational groups within the fisheries studied, to provide a more nuanced understanding of the personal networks of types of fisherfolk. Links are then made between the characteristics of personal networks and evidence on how fisherfolk benefit from their networks, interpreted as contributing to social cohesion within the communities. The personal networks of fisherfolk (boat crew, boat owners and traders/processors) of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda bordering Lake Victoria were investigated using personal network analysis, with fisherfolk asked who they discuss their fisheries activities with. The analysis found that networks based on the same occupation were more characteristic of fish traders/processors networks than those of boat crew and boat owners and that shared ethnicity, gender and location were characteristic of boat owner and boat crew networks, though shared ethnicity may reflect the composition of the communities rather than choice. Social and economic interactions within the networks were based on provision of credit, social support and advice, suggesting that these form the basis of social cohesion and should be taken into consideration in working with fishing communities in both development interventions and designing collaborative management approaches.     

Problems of Artisanal Marine Fishermen in Ghana: The Way Ahead

Marine fishing is an important traditional economic activity of the coastal communities in Ghana and contributes over 80 per cent of the total fish catch. The traditional sector accounts for over 75 per cent of the marine catch. The small-scale artisanal marine fishing communities, which contribute less than 30 per cent of the traditional sector landings, are generally characterised by low levels of production and, hence, low incomes, poor living conditions and chronic indebtedness. Based on field data on artisanal fishing communities in the Ahanta West and Gomoa districts, this paper summarises the chronic problems of artisanal fishermen that perpetuate their precarious existence in the coastal environment. Overcoming the problems of these increasingly marginalised and migrant communities calls for the provision of supplementary employment opportunities, improved social services and the formation of solidarity groups to enhance access to micro credit. These would require technical and management training as well as support services from government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).     

Poverty and prosperity among Sama Bajo fishing communities (Southeast Sulawesi,Indonesia)

Over recent decades, sustained economic growth in Indonesia has lifted many millions of Indonesians out of poverty. But despite these developments, 28 per cent of the population still live below the official poverty line and many more remain vulnerable to falling into poverty. Coastal and fishing communities represent some of the poorer populations across Indonesia, their livelihoods increasingly threatened by deleterious environmental impacts and overfishing. This paper draws on an analysis of household surveys from two Sama Bajo fishing settlements in coastal Southeast Sulawesi. A predominantly maritime language community, Sama Bajo livelihoods are shaped by seasonal patterns of fishing and marine based harvesting and trading. Using a modified poverty survey instrument, the paper explores comparative patterns of poverty and prosperity in these two communities with a focus on livelihood dynamics, seasonality effects, and the enduring patron‐client relationships that sustain their market‐oriented way of life. Key findings highlight the vulnerability of female headed households given the highly gendered access to fishing success, and the significance of relational co‐dependencies between patron‐client networks that sustain the current patterns of fishing livelihoods. The paper highlights the need for more focussed livelihood research among vulnerable populations in Indonesia and smallholder fishing communities in particular.     

Contrasting Approaches to the Management of Common Property Resources: An institutional analysis of fisheries development strategies in Shetland and the Solomon Islands

The paper compares and contrasts the development experiences of two fisheries-dependent archipelagos: the Shetland Islands, located in the temperate seas of the North-east Atlantic, and the Lau community of the island of Malaita, in the Solomon Islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Whilst the coastal communities of both island groups have always depended upon the sea for their livelihood, their indigenous peoples are distinct in origins, culture, historic tradition, economy, and social imperatives. However, a closer examination of the recent development of the two archipelagos reveals that, whilst they are contrasting in the fisheries sector specifics, they have, over different time scales, adopted similar management strategies in the pursuit of sustainable fishing. In both instances, the island communities have sought to support the local fisheries economy by tempering the external forces of the centre. This has been achieved, with varying degrees of success, by adopting management control and resource 'ownership' strategies in response to social and economic turbulence in the environment. The experiences of the two archipelagos have demonstrated that to maintain a coherent fisheries management strategy over time and a sustainable resources base requires a pro-active approach, the input of resources, and moderation of the pressures created by the market. The future is uncertain as the fisheries organisations of the archipelagos seek to stabilise the access and ownership arrangements applied to the common-property fisheries resources of coastal waters.     

Place Spoofing: A Case Study of the Xenophilic Copycat Community in Beijing,China

This article coins a neologism, place spoofing, to describe the unique transformation of a place when it purposefully replicates another alien place, thereby enabling the residents to live in the vicarious environment of that imitated place. Place spoofing captures how a place disconnects from its indigenous culture and historical heritage during the transformation. This framing enables us to further reflect on the causes of this unique urban development. To deepen our understanding of place spoofing, we elaborate on its connotation, different spoofing strategies, and its goal of delivering an alien sense of place. We further analyze its market price and then discuss the perspective of place spoofing as a type of conspicuous commodity. To put the theoretical framework in context, the xenophilic copycat residential communities in Beijing are examined. Specifically, the copycat communities are sifted out from all available Beijing residential community transactions from an online real estate database. The distribution of copycat communities demonstrates the (re)production of place spoofing in the geographic layout of the city. The empirical results show that the copycat communities tend to have higher prices, implying that the residents pursue an alien sense of place and the symbolic meanings carried by its sentiment. This study also discusses how buyers, developers, and governments react to place spoofing. Overall, place spoofing provides a lens to frame this long-standing, but often neglected, urban development. This article lays the groundwork for geographers to explore the spoofing phenomenon by examining its underlying spatial characteristics, economic benefits, and social implications.     

Ecological and population changes in fishing communities of the North Atlantic Arc

In the decades since World War II, large-scale ecological changes have affected fishing communities across the northern Atlantic. Substantial declines hit their historically important resources, most notably the Atlantic cod. Such declines were often accompanied by increases in other, previously less exploited, species. Interactions between fishing pressure and environmental variation have driven ecological change. Ecological changes in turn reshaped the fisheries, contributing to altered demographic profiles of fisheries-dependent communities. Many places lost population, especially through out-migration of young adults. Broad social forces also contributed to these trends, but the timing and geographical details of population changes often correspond to specific fisheries/ecological events.     

REDD+ and incentives: An analysis of income generation in forest-dependent communities of the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve,Ecuador

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is considered a promising strategy to slow down deforestation rates, promote sustainable forest use, and support rural livelihoods under the umbrella of climate change mitigation. However, so far there is only little field-based knowledge on how REDD+ can go along with subsistence-based production systems and livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. We addressed this research gap by analyzing the income generation of three widespread ethnic groups (Colonists, Shuar, Kichwa) in the buffer zone of the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador to better understand their livelihoods and possible engagement in REDD+. We selected two communities of each ethnic group (close-to and far-from markets) and used household surveys to (a) calculate household incomes, (b) assess the degree of forest-dependency, and (c) discuss how REDD+ schemes can be designed along with traditional subsistence-based production systems. We found that the studied indigenous communities have a higher degree of forest-dependency and higher environmental income compared to Colonists. However, our assumption that close-to-market communities have a lower degree of forest dependency and higher cash income due to better market access and labor opportunities applies only to the Colonists and Shuar, but must be rejected for the Kichwas who gain income from timber sale. Despite these differences, all communities receive high off-farm revenues from unskilled labor provided by oil-companies and external aid. Therefore, dependency on agriculture and forestry is temporarily reduced. Under these circumstances, REDD+ provides only weak financial incentives so that the willingness to participate in REDD+ is low.     

Fishing in a congested sea: What do marine protected areas imply for the future of the Maltese artisanal fleet?

Inshore artisanal fishing in Malta is under intense spatial competition as the coastal zone is fragmented by multiple uses and designations including maritime transport, infrastructure, industrial fisheries, aquaculture, tourism and recreation. This research, adopting a grounded visualization methodology, explains how the artisanal fishing sector has undergone and been affected by ‘spatial squeezing’. Our results show that artisanal fishermen have been forced to give up fishing grounds or co-exist with other uses to the point where the ability to fish is becoming increasingly challenging. These difficulties might escalate with the advent of the marine protected areas (MPAs) which encompass nearly half of the inshore fishing zones. Since there does not seem to be effective MPA consultation mechanisms that elicit the real social, cultural and economic value of artisanal fishing grounds, fishermen feel threatened, alienated and disempowered. This study urges for a more holistic approach to spatial marine planning and accentuates the need of realizing the dependency of the artisanal sector on the inshore zones in the implementation of conservation measures, such that the prolonged existence of the coastal fishing communities is not jeopardized.     

From Vegetable Box to Seafood Cooler: Applying the Community-Supported Agriculture Model to Fisheries

Community-supported fisheries (CSF) projects show signs of rapid growth. Modeled on community-supported agriculture (CSA) projects, CSFs share objectives of reducing social and physical distance between consumers and producers and re-embedding food systems in social and environmental contexts. This article offers a comparison of CSF and CSA, situated in the differences between seafood and agricultural products, and fishing and farming. We draw on economic and resource theory, past research on CSA, and a member survey from a case study CSF. Survey results show CSF members are interested in accessing high-quality, fresh, local seafood, and in supporting fishing communities, and they believe that participating in a CSF achieves both. They are less certain that a CSF can address environmental concerns, and few identify environmental motives as their primary reason for participating. The latter contrasts with CSA research results, and we contextualize these findings in our broader comparison.     

‘Where there is fish,is where I put my head’: Challenges of mobile fishers in Elmina fishing community in Ghana

Small-scale fisheries are crucial for improving livelihoods by providing fisher employment, and food security. As part of their work, fishers frequently move to different fishing communities to catch and trade in fish. This paper analyses the living circumstances of artisanal fishers and discusses their mobility patterns, lodging arrangements, and the difficulties they encounter as they carry out their work. This paper is based on a study that involved 385 artisanal fishers in the fishing community of Elmina in the Komenda Edina Equafo Abirem (KEEA) Municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. The results show that there are not many suitable places to stay for fishers when they travel from home to other fishing locations, and the few places that do offer affordable lodging also lack toilets, bathrooms and drinkable water. The paper also reflects on the gendered dynamics of these and related issues of insecurity for women in this case study. District authorities whose economies are heavily dependent on fishing ought to collaborate with private housing developers and the state to build affordable lodging facilities with standard household amenities like water, toilets and baths in fishing destinations to address the housing issues faced by fishers while travelling.     

Emerging customs: Small-scale fishing practices in Aceh,Indonesia

Off the western coast of Sumatra among the islands of Pulau Banyak, fishing is the primary occupation for the men of Haloban. They are self-described “traditional” fishers, using low-tech gear and small boats to catch fish, octopus, lobster, and other sealife in the nearby coral reefs and mangroves. Women also regularly venture out into the deep mud of the mangroves to collect clams. Their efforts to extract livelihoods and subsistence from the reefs take place in an open-access commons with few formal institutions or enforcement mechanisms to regulate resource use. While explicit regulations and customary limitations on fishing in the coral reef commons are lacking, Haloban fishers improvise some common etiquette and practices that are adaptable to the shifting context.This case study presents Haloban fishers' use of the commons as situated practices, unarticulated and embedded within a complex social–ecological system. These practices reflect fishers' understanding of, and relationship with, their environment, and may represent a nascent form of local “rules-in-use”, informing behavior without direct social mechanisms for enforcement. This paper presents research collected using ethnographic methods, including participant observation at sea. As NGOs and government agencies work to craft management plans that share use of the reefs with tourism and conservation, a better understanding of actual resource use and fishing practice may inform more nuanced, adaptable, and truly “local” community-based management.     

The Perception and Impact of Natural Hazards on Fishing Communities of Kutubdia Island,Bangladesh

Natural hazards lead to unexpected and often dire situations for people who have few resources and little control over the environment in which they live. Kutubdia, an island in the southeastern part of Bangladesh, experiences frequent natural hazards that impact the livelihoods of its people and put them in vulnerable situations. The research elaborated here is the result of 300 household surveys collected from persons in Kutubdia's fishing communities. The surveys investigated the perception and consequences of natural hazards on the fishing communities. The results indicated that the experience of natural hazards—cyclones, erosion, and flooding are examples—have increased over the years. Coastal erosion displaced seventy‐two (24 percent) fishers, forcing them to relocate their houses several times and imposing multiple challenges on their lives. Literacy was not associated with perceptions of environmental changes or changes in fishing. However, young fishers—less than forty years of age—perceived that environmental changes had affected fish catch more than their older colleagues.     

From Moral to Markets: The Rhetoric of Responsibility and Resource Management in European Union Fisheries Policy

Ecological, economic, and social sustainability has been prioritized by the European Union in its proposal for a reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), but it is recognized that there is a lack of knowledge concerning the objectives of these three aspects. Addressing the issue of how these objectives are given meaning as policy is being articulated, two Swedish seminars where fisheries’ stakeholders discuss the proposal for a reformed CFP are analyzed. The analysis shows how fish become defined as a specific kind of resource and how their status as a resource is framed as a moral issue. Once morally charged the resource is subjected to valorization through economic modeling. As a result, the potential for sustainability in fisheries becomes conditional upon the creation of new markets.     

Socio‐economic and ecological challenges of small‐scale fishing and strategies for its sustainable management: A case study of the Old Brahmaputra River,Bangladesh

Socio‐economic and ecological challenges faced by the small‐scale fishers dependent on the Old Brahmaputra River, Bangladesh are assessed using a combination of questionnaire survey, co‐monitoring of fish catch, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Results reveal that the fishers are involved in professional, seasonal or subsistence fishing. Fish catches from the river have declined significantly because of overfishing, destructive use of fishing gear, water pollution, siltation, rapid urbanization and human encroachment, thereby threatening the health of the river ecosystem as well as the future of small‐scale fishing. We evaluate various social, economic and ecological challenges faced by the fisher communities. We propose a conceptual framework that recognizes linkages among social, economic and ecological aspects in devising a sustainable river fisheries management system. We recommend effective legal enforcement of policies and regulations, strong institutional collaboration and active fisher community participation in management to ensure sustainable use of the resource base.     

粤西沿海渔港物流阻力面模型研究

利用最小累积阻力面模型,计算和绘制了粤西沿海地区渔港公路物流阻力面形态图和最小累积阻力面图。结果表明粤西沿海地区在广湛高速、渝湛高速公路和325国道、207国道附近,形成了两条物流快速通道,一条以阳江、阳西、电白、茂名、湛江、雷州、徐闻等地为基点的沿海快速通道;另一条以遂溪、高桥、博白为基点的西南大通道。物流过程阻力从沿海向内陆方向迅速增强。水产品物流方向在湛江市以霞山为区域核心,指向西南和粤东;茂名市的博贺和阳江市的沙扒、闸坡、东平则直接指向粤东。在粤桂交界的廉江和阳春形成两个水产品物流战略点。     

Shifting Tides,Complex Lives: The Dynamics of Fishing and Tourism Livelihoods on the Kenyan Coast

This article investigates the complexities of fisher livelihoods and their interactions with the tourism industry on the Kenyan coast, to better understand how the prospects for alternative livelihoods, such as tourism, reduce fishing pressure. Data were derived from a questionnaire of 123 households and 30 interviews. Results showed that fishers cover the whole socioeconomic spectrum and that the role of fishing in livelihoods is heterogeneous both between individuals and for individuals over time. The majority of fishers do not combine tourism and fishing simultaneously, but livelihoods are characterized by a process of moving in and out of various activities as opportunities present themselves. There was no evidence of systematic or permanent displacement of fishers as a result of tourism. Given that fishing is not only an occupation carried out by those with no alternatives, prospects for alternative livelihoods systematically reducing fishing effort, predicated on this assumption, are questioned.     

From Input Controls to Quota Management in the Tasmanian Rock Lobster Fishery

In an effort to control escalating fishing effort, a quota management system (QMS) of individual transferable quotas (ITQs) has recently been introduced in the Tasmanian rock lobster fishery. We outline and compare the input controls system in place before the introduction of a QMS, and we discuss the operation of the QMS to the end of its first full season in February 1999. We find cautiously for a successful introduction of a QMS as catch, effort and catch rate data tend towards what fishery managers believe to be bio economically sustainable levels.     

A story of “communities”: boundaries,geographical composition and social coherence in a forest conservation project,Northern Cambodia

Explicit notions of “communities”, as key actors in conservation and development projects across the Global South, are common. Narratives about “indigenous people” or “forest-dependent communities” in forest conservation programmes prevail, portraying a picture of “communities” as homogeneous and harmonious entities. In this study, we unfold “communities” as a construct with an empirical example of a community-based forest protection project, Northern Cambodia. Based on qualitative interviews, field observations and document analysis, we examine the “community” construct in terms of establishment of boundaries, geographical composition and social coherence. We not only find that the establishment of forest “community” boundaries are dominated by powerful external actors rather than the “community members” themselves, but that the spatial composition of “communities” is complex, and affects the ability of local people to benefit from the project. We also find that the studied “communities” show low levels of social coherence and mainly consist of migrant farmers, as opposed to common policy narratives. Taking these inconsistencies into account, we discuss implications of constructing “communities” for the success of forest conservation projects, and argue in favour of more discursive and political analyses to better understand, acknowledge and adapt to existing and changing conditions in present and prospective project locations.