Ethnic diversity, social capital and the potential for co-managemet - a case study of Hawaii's longline fishery.pdf

Social networks and social capital can facilitate or constrain collaborative arrangements which can enhance resource governance and adaptability in complex social-ecological systems such as fisheries. Yet, the impact of ethnic diversity among resource users on social network capital in the context of resource governance has not been previously examined. To explore this effect, a social network analysis of the entire population of resource users in Hawaii’s longline fishery was performed, which is currently characterized by a division along ethnic lines and competition over resource use. Results show that ethnicity significantly influences social network structure and is responsible for a homophily effect, with higher levels of bonding and bridging ties found within ethnic groups. In contrast to previous research on social capital, the greatest evidence of linking social capital ties was found in a minority ethnic group rather than the dominant ethnic group. However, results suggest that ethnic fragmentation may be responsible for the marginalization of another minority group, which reported a significantly low level of linking ties to industry leaders, government or management officials, and the scientific community. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the effect of ethnic diversity on social network capital in the fisheries literature, and has implications for the success of collaborative management

Modeling the Economic Benefits of Temporary Octopus Fisheries Closures

A local fisheries management model employing short-term fisheries closures for rapidly growing species is proliferating across coastal east Africa and Indian Ocean islands. Aiming to improve management and boost incomes, NGOs, international finance institutions, and government agencies are promoting the technique in artisanal fishing communities. In southwest Madagascar alone, over 130 such closures have been implemented since 2004. To-date, no study has analyzed the closures effects on fisher incomes. This paper uses over 250,000 datapoints gathered over 8 years to investigate the economic effects of octopus fishery closures in the Velondriake Locally Managed Marine Area in southwest Madagascar. First, we examine village-scale octopus fishery-generated income before, during, and after closures. The villages saw no significant revenue decline during the closure, but do show significantly higher revenues post-opening. Second, we use a stochastic model, parameterized with landings data, to assess whether each closed site was a profitable investment on its own. Of the 37 closures, 28 were profitable and 9 were unprofitable. In 8 of the 9 unprofitable cases, stealing was recorded, and in 6 cases stealing was rampant. Third, we calculate each closures internal rate of return (IRR), showing that the median monthly IRR in the 28 profitable closures was 67.7% (+/- 29.9% CI95). Examining gender bias in closures costs and benefits, we found that women disproportionately stop fishing octopus during closures and men disproportionately fish during openingday derbies. The changes are slight and women's proportion remains above 50%

Capturing Malagasy fisher communities non-market economic values using mixed methods

Understanding how people value ecosystem goods and services can provide important information to managers and planners. Marine protected area valuations often focus on marketed goods and services. For many traditional fisherfolk, however, non-marketed ecosystem services are critically important inputs to their wellbeing. Using discrete choice experiments (DCEs), we quantify the values that Vezo fisherfolk of southwestern Madagascar place on three non-marketed services: (1) the likelihood that their offspring will be able to follow their parents livelihoods as traditional fishers (bequest value); (2) increased social cooperation between villages (social capital); and (3) storm protection. The DCE was conducted in 2010 as part of a comprehensive Total Economic Valuation (TEV) of ecosystem services flowing from a community-managed marine area in southwest Madagascar. The TEV includes provisioning (fisheries, wood, shells, freshwater, medicinal plants, research, and tourism), regulating (organic waste disposal, carbon sequestration, and storm protection), and cultural ecosystem services (social capital represented by levels of intervillage cooperation and respect and intravillage conflict about marine resource use; cultural heritage represented as a bequest value; education; recreation; and spiritual). We present values for all ecosystem services measured in the valuation, along with interpretations of differences between groups and methods. We triangulate a number of the values using multiple methods, including market-based, ranking and rating, and Likert-scale rating. Despite their reputation in the academic literature as “living for each day”, we find that bequest values constitute an important portion of the total value that local Vezo fisherfolk place on the environment.Keywords: Fisheries Economics, Measurement and Indicators for Improved Management and Understanding Part I, Modeling & Economic Theor

Information Sharing Networks and Rates of Incidental Catch

Pelagic fishers operate in a dynamic environment and are faced with a high level of uncertainty on a daily basis. To cope with this complexity, fishers often rely on sharing information with others in order to improve their decision making. Yet previous research has not explicitly investigated the effect of resource user’s social networks on environmental outcomes in a marine setting. Linking observer data from 2008-2012 to a complete social network dataset from Hawaii’s longline fishery, we empirically estimate the relationship between fisher’s information sharing networks and rates of incidental catch. The network exhibits strong homophily, with fishers organizing themselves into three information sharing network groups largely corresponding to their ethnic affiliation. Controlling for spatiotemporal factors, we find significant differences in shark bycatch among the three network groups. Additionally, we find that bycatch rates for individuals whose majority of ties fall outside their ethnic group are more closely aligned with their network group, rather than their ethnic group. Significant differences in shark bycatch among network groups hold when examining only reciprocal ties, which breaks the network up into several distinct components, and controlling for ethnicity. Our results indicate that some fishers may be dynamically reacting in time and space to information received from trusted sources within their network group on strategies to mitigate bycatch, while others are not. This research provides the first empirical evidence that network homophily is correlated with environmental outcomes, and that social network structure is significantly related to rates of incidental catch.Keywords: Markets and Trade, Fisheries Economics, Markets: Related Markets Polic

Ethnic Diversity, Social Capital, and the Potential for Co-Management: a case study of Hawaii’s longline fishery

Social networks and social capital can facilitate or constrain collaborative arrangements which can enhance resource governance and adaptability in complex social-ecological systems such as fisheries. Yet, the impact of ethnic diversity among resource users on social network capital in the context of resource governance has not been previously examined. To explore this effect, a social network analysis of the entire population of resource users in Hawaii’s longline fishery was performed, which is currently characterized by a division along ethnic lines and competition over resource use. Results show that ethnicity significantly influences social network structure and is responsible for a homophily effect, with higher levels of bonding and bridging ties found within ethnic groups. In contrast to previous research on social capital, the greatest evidence of linking social capital ties was found in a minority ethnic group rather than the dominant ethnic group. However, results suggest that ethnic fragmentation may be responsible for the marginalization of another minority group, which reported a significantly low level of linking ties to industry leaders, government or management officials, and the scientific community. This study provides the first empirical evidence of the effect of ethnic diversity on social network capital in the fisheries literature, and has implications for the success of collaborative management

Global significance of seagrass fishery activity

Seagrass meadows support fisheries through provision of nursery areas and trophic subsidies to adjacent habitats. As shallow coastal habitats, they also provide key fishing grounds; however, the nature and extent of such exploitation are poorly understood. These productive meadows are being degraded globally at rapid rates. For degradation to cease, there needs to be better appreciation for the value of these habitats in supporting global fisheries. Here, we provide the first global scale study demonstrating the extent, importance and nature of fisheries exploitation of seagrass meadows. Due to a paucity of available data, the study used a global expert survey to demonstrate the widespread significance of seagrass-based fishing activity. Our study finds that seagrass-based fisheries are globally important and present virtually wherever seagrass exists, supporting subsistence, commercial and recreational activity. A wide range of fishing methods and gear is used reflecting the spatial distribution patterns of seagrass meadows, and their depth ranges from intertidal (accessible by foot) to relatively deep water (where commercial trawls can operate). Seagrass meadows are multispecies fishing grounds targeted by fishers for any fish or invertebrate species that can be eaten, sold or used as bait. In the coastal communities of developing countries, the importance of the nearshore seagrass fishery for livelihoods and well-being is irrefutable. In developed countries, the seagrass fishery is often recreational and/or more target species specific. Regardless of location, this study is the first to highlight collectively the indiscriminate nature and global scale of seagrass fisheries and the diversity of exploitative methods employed to extract seagrass-associated resources. Evidence presented emphasizes the need for targeted management to support continued viability of seagrass meadows as a global ecosystem service provider

Impacts of aquaculture on social networks in the mangrove systems of northern Vietnam

Mangrove systems are one of the most complex and productive ecosystems on Earth, providing crucial livelihood support to coastal communities in developing countries. However, mangrove systems are being degraded and lost at an alarming rate globally. In Vietnam, the principal threat to mangrove systems is their conversion to aquaculture. Historically, mangrove system dependent communities (MSDC) have responded to change through their livelihoods and social networks, using social capital to self-organise and access crucial livelihood resources. However, little is known about the impact of different degrees of aquaculture on MSDC livelihoods and social networks, and what this means for the resilience of these communities and their ability to self-organise in response to change. Using a quantitative approach based on empirical household survey data, we assess the association between aquaculture and the livelihoods and social networks of three coastal communities of northern Vietnam. Results indicate that greater degrees of aquaculture are associated with: greater income inequality and lower livelihood diversity; and larger and less dense social networks. The increased influence of market-based relations associated with greater degrees of aquaculture has implications for resilience through the socio-economic differentiation and fragmentation of MSDC networks, which reduces social capital and the ability to self-organise in response to change. A diversity of network ties is required in order to connect various groups within MSDC. This can enable shared identification and understanding of the issues facing mangrove systems in order to facilitate self-organisation, and foster the resilience necessary for the sustainable governance of mangrove systems

Building adaptive capacity to climate change in tropical coastal communities

To minimize the impacts of climate change on human wellbeing, governments, development agencies, and civil society organizations have made substantial investments in improving people's capacity to adapt to change. Yet to date, these investments have tended to focus on a very narrow understanding of adaptive capacity. Here, we propose an approach to build adaptive capacity across five domains: the assets that people can draw upon in times of need; the flexibility to change strategies; the ability to organize and act collectively; learning to recognize and respond to change; and the agency to determine whether to change or not

The total economic value of small-scale fisheries with a characterization of post-landing trends: an application in Madagascar with global relevance

Small-scale fisheries make key contributions to food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction, yet to date the economic value of small-scale fisheries has been poorly quantified. In this study, we take a novel approach by characterizing post-landing trends of small-scale fisheries resources and estimating their total economic value, including both commercial and subsistence values, in a remote rural region in Madagascar. We construct annual landings and characterize gear and habitat use, post-landing trends, fishing revenue, total market value, costs and net income, profitability, employment and dependence on small-scale fisheries. Our results show that the small-scale fisheries sector employs 87% of the adult population, generates an average of 82% of all household income, and provides the sole protein source in 99% of all household meals with protein. In 2010 an estimated 5524 metric tons (t) of fish and invertebrates were extracted annually by small-scale fishers in the region, primarily from coral reef ecosystems, of which 83% was sold commercially, generating fishing revenues of nearly $6.0 million (PPP, 2010). When accounting for subsistence catch, total annual landings had an estimated value of$6.9 million (PPP, 2010). Our results demonstrate the importance of small-scale fisheries for food security, livelihoods, and wealth generation for coastal communities, and highlight the need for long-term management strategies that aim to enhance their ecological and economic sustainability. Our findings should catalyze national and regional policy makers to re-examine existing fisheries policies that neglect this sector, and spur researchers to better quantify small-scale fisheries globally