Summary MPA seminar. Mission impossible! Bjørn Hersoug Marema, NCFS, UiTø

Transcription

1 Summary MPA seminar Mission impossible! Bjørn Hersoug Marema, NCFS, UiTø

2 Summary MPA seminar Where defintions matter: Any area of intertidal or subtidal terrain, together with its overlaying waters, and associated flora, fauna, historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment. (IUCN, 1994) Marine and Coastal Protected Area means any confined area within or adjacent to the marine environment, together with its overlying waters and associated flora, fauna, and historical and cultural features, which has been reserved by legislation or other effective means, including custom, with the effect that its marine and/or coastal biodiversity enjoys a higher level of protection than its surroundings. (CBD, 2004)

3 Summary MPA seminar Some potential biological benefits: Higher densities, biomass, mean size of organisms, and diversity of species Protection of critical habitats Spillover - export of biomass of fished species from within the MPA to areas beyond the reserve

4 Summary MPA seminar MPAs are subject to same high level of uncertainty of biological (and ecological) benefits as other fishery management tools And when uncertainty is unexplained or oversold (just like ITQs or multispecies management): Potential backlash and difficult to gain acceptance for MPAs in the future Globally WWF reported that less than 10% of MPAs at a global level were achieving their management goals

5 The world according to IGOs and NGOs Recognized as one of most Tangible Approaches to Ecosystem-Level Management to Date Proposed and Increasingly Promoted as a Tool to Fulfill both Management and Conservation Objectives => Consensus: MPAs CAN have Positive Effects for Fisheries However: Largely Based on Theoretical Assumptions; Empirical Evidence is Growing, but Scarce Overall: MPAs are a Powerful, Emerging Tool for Fisheries Management, in Concert with other Measures and Approaches for Maximum Impact

6 The MPA pandemic Willis et al. (2003) Publications concerned with the effects of marine reserves in the primary literature, : comparison of the number of field and desktop studies.

7 But what is the best fishing pattern? Is fishing down the A non-selective food web bad? harvesting pattern is Where is the ecosystem conserving. highest production? The system remains unchanged, except everything is less.?? This means fishing How? down the food-web! How much? The optimum fishing pattern is non-selective! What if we fish everything proportionally?

8 Present status of MPA s on coral reefs Location and status of 980 MPAs surveyed. Categorized according to their success as No-Take zones. The percent of coral reefs per region covered by MPAs in those categories is shown on the bar charts. From Mora et al (Nature)

9 What does this mean? That MPAs predominantly are focused on tropical small scale fisheries (most on coral reefs so far) That the proposed high sea MPAs are all outside the main industrial fishing grounds. So who will be affected? Are small scale tropical fisheries overfished? Yes, quite a few If MPAs, will the people benefit? That depends If not do they have alternative incomes? Most often, not!

10 Summary MPA seminar That MPAs increase biomass is true That they serve as conservation is true That they maintain the aesthetic qualities of ecosystems (e.g for tourism) is true But that they enhance fisheries and increase yields is far from compelling from both empirical and model evidence. That s the biological verdict!

11 Summary MPA seminar The MPA-world according to economists: Human behaviour is essential in understanding how marine reserves will function Economic factors must be included when determining which fisheries and areas to create marine reserves for. Marine reserves must be incorporated with other management tools Great care must be taken as to which fisheries and where reserves are implemented in order to avoid adverse effects.

12 Assessing Governability [ ] we need to be concerned with the relationship and the interaction between the natural and the social system-to-be-governed, and how the governing system interferes in that interaction. GS GI SG GS: Governing System, SG: System-to-be-Governed, GI: Governing Interactions

13 Summary MPA seminar The world according to social scientists : (some of them): MPAs are no easy fix; rather, they are complex social institutions MPAs may be a success from an ecological perspective but a failure as a social institution MPAs affect and are affected by humans MPAs are embedded systems; they never exist in an institutional vacuum

14 A view from the south (ICSF): Artisanal fishers not blind for the need to regulate: Demands for regulation of trawling/ destructive gear: Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Ecuador. Demands for regulation of intensive aquaculture: India, Thailand, Brazil, Bangladesh, Central American countries, Chile Demands for regulation of pollution of coastal waters: fishing communities in most countries

15 Small-scale Fishing Communities and MPAs: Placing MPAs in Context MPAs should be seen as only one of the tools available for fisheries management. The tool used should be based on the nature of the problem, the biological features of the resource (sedentary, pelagic, demersal, mobile), etc. Coastal fishing communities can be powerful allies in the efforts to conserve, restore and protect coastal and marine biodiversity Experience from several countries indicates that in certain situations communities are taking the initiative to manage/ conserve resources through protected areas

16 Case studies from the south: A diversified picture: Alternative views: A neo-colonialist approach? A valuable attempt of co-management? The democratic problem: lack of participation from below The economic problem: gains do not accrue to the same persons that bear the costs

17 The Norwegian experience Wide definition covering what fisheries authorities have practised for years MPAs= time, area and time restrictions MPAs as part of rebuilding plans MPAs one of many tools, probably of greater use with EAF No fishing MPAs and other MPAs

18 Norwegian fishers with long experience with restrictions Norway has a history of restrictions on use of certains marine areas Those were introduced to reduce conflicts between different fishing gears or to keep gears seen to be too efficient out. For instance prohibition on trawl inside territorial waters Also trawl free zones as well as other kinds of restrictions outside territorial waters, for instance when there is too much juvenile fish in an area The new zones where all fishing is prohibited are for environmental protection

19 Fisheries and poverty Poverty a multidimensional concept Fishers=poor??? Maybe, but if so: Because 1)poor because they are fishers, or 2)fishers because they are poor Different solutions: 1)rights based fisheries 2)alternative employment opportunities If rights-based implies closing of fisheries, how to escape excluding the poorest? The need for policy reform, i.e. reallocation!!!!

20 The basic questions: In fisheries management, EAF In Coastal Zone Management, Oceans Policy Where are we? Where are we going? How are we getting there? Who is going to pay? And most important: who are we?