Governance and social capital in the co-management of benthic resources in Chile: contributions from a network analysis to the study of small-scale artisanal fisheries

Co-management or collaborative management is considered tobe a relational institution, since it places emphasis not only on the administrationof resources as such, but also on the social relations between multipleactors with diverse interests in the territory. For this reason, growing interestexists in studying comanagement using social network analysis (sna) and therelated concept of social capital. In this article, we present two applicationsfor the use of sna to understand co-management, using the Chilean systemof Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources (amerb) as acase study. sna tools are applied speci-fically to: 1) describe and analyse thegovernance network underlying the amerb system, and 2) explore the roleof fisher organizations’ social capital in co-management functioning andperformance. Based on the applications described in the article, we proposethe social network approach as a promising and complementary standpointfor the development and reformulation of more effective public policy, withgrowing participation of local communities

SITUACIÓN POBLACIONAL DEL PELÍCANO PERUANO (PELECANUS THAGUS) EN CHILE: PROSPECCIÓN INICIAL

Resumen ∙ El Pelícano Peruano (Pelecanus thagus) es un ave marina endémica del Sistema de la Corriente de Humboldt, en América del Sur, habitando la costa Pacífica desde el sur de Ecuador, Perú y hasta el sur de Chile. En Perú está clasificado como una especie En Peligro de Extinción, mientras que globalmente es considerado Casi Amenazado. Si bien más del 50% del hábitat utilizado por el Pelícano Peruano se encuentra en la costa de Chile, en este país se desconoce su estado poblacional y de conservación. Por ello, el objetivo del presente trabajo fue diagnosticar la situación poblacional del Pelícano Peruano en Chile, mediante análisis de bases de datos y percepciones de ornitólogos locales. Entre los años 2010 al 2015 la abundancia del Pelícano Peruano en Chile disminuyó significativamente en la zona central de país. Existe una estacionalidad en su presencia con mayores abundancias durante la temporada invernal. La percepción de los ornitólogos locales indicó un aumento poblacional hacia el sur del país. A lo largo del litoral chileno se han descrito 24 sitios de nidificación del Pelícano Peruano, de los cuales el 29,1% se ubican dentro de un área protegida. Finalmente, identificamos futuras preguntas de investigación y sugerimos la necesidad de aplicar un enfoque meta‐poblacional y establecer marcos de colaboración internacional para el estudio y conservación del Pelícano Peruano. Abstract ∙ Population status of the Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus) in Chile: initial survey The Peruvian Pelican (Pelecanus thagus) is an endemic seabird of the Humboldt Current System in South America, inhabiting the Pacific coast from the south of Ecuador, Peru to the south of Chile. In Peru it is classified as an Endangered species, while globally it is considered Near Threatened. Although more than 50% of the habitat used by the Peruvian Pelican occurs on the coast of Chile, its population trends and conservation status remain unknown in this country. For this reason, the objective of the present work was to diagnose the population situation of the Peruvian Pelican in Chile, through the analysis of databases and perceptions of local ornithologists. Between the years 2010 and 2015 the abundance of Peruvian Pelican in Chile decreased significantly in the central zone of the country. There is seasonality in its presence, with greater abundances during the winter season. The perception of local ornithologists indicated a population increase towards the south of the country. Along the Chilean coast, 24 nesting sites of the Peruvian Pelican have been described, of which 29.1% are located inside of protected areas. Finally, we identify future research questions, suggest the need to apply a meta‐population approach, and establish international collaboration frameworks for the study and conservation of the Peruvian Pelican

Estimating illegal fishing from enforcement officers

While illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a premier issue facing ocean sustainability, characterizing it is challenging due to its clandestine nature. Using Chile as an example, researchers present a structured process leveraging existing capacity, fisheries officers, that provides a monitoring tool to produce transparent and stand-alone estimates on the level, structure, and characteristics of illegal fishing

Operationalizing vulnerability for social-ecological integration in conservation and natural resource management

Sustaining human well-being is intimately linked to maintaining productive and healthy ecosystems. Avoiding trade-offs and fostering co-benefits is however challenging. Here, we present an operational approach that integrates biodiversity conservation, human development, and natural resource management by (1) examining resource and resource user interactions through the lens of social-ecological vulnerability (i.e., encompassing exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity); (2) identifying "ecocentric" and "sociocentric" interventions that directly address the ecological or social sources of vulnerability; (3) prioritizing those expected to yield co-benefits and minimize trade-offs; and (4) selecting interventions that are best suited to the broader local context. Application of this approach to a coral reef fishery in French Polynesia recommended a portfolio of development-, livelihood-, and ecosystem-based interventions, thus suggesting a shift from the current resource-focused approach toward a more social-ecological perspective. Our vulnerability-based approach provides practitioners with a valuable tool for broadening their set of management options, leading to escape from panacea traps

Disparities in the impacts of co-management on fishers’ livelihoods

Natural resources are widely managed through collaborative governance arrangements (e.g., co-management) which often result in the uneven distribution of costs and benefits among fishers. Discrepancies in how a fisher is impacted by co-management relative to other fishers or others in the community (i.e., disparity) can negatively affect fishers’ wellbeing, their support for management, and subsequently, ecological outcomes. Yet, disparities in the distribution of social impacts from co-management have rarely been assessed. We address this gap by examining disparities (losses and gains) in perceived livelihood impacts from co-management. Losses (or gains) occur when a fisher experiences a more negative (or positive) impact on their livelihood relative to other fishers or others in the community. We used data from interviews with 1191 fishers associated with 48 coral reef co-management arrangements across Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea to examine how socioeconomic and institutional characteristics were associated with losses and gains from co-management. Overall, we found that more fishers perceived equality than disparities in the distribution of co-management impacts. Of those that perceived disparities, more fishers perceived losses than gains. We also found that disparities could be predicted by a range of socioeconomic characteristics, including distance to markets and wealth, and institutional characteristics of the co-management regime, such as gear, access, and area restrictions. This study provides insights on potential entry points that could be used by managers and policy-makers to promote equitable co-management of small-scale fisheries, such as the reduction of losses by increasing participation in decision-making processes, fostering conflict resolution mechanisms, prioritizing gear restrictions over area restrictions, and reducing poverty

Microplastics in seafood: Consumer preferences and valuation for mitigation technologies

Microplastics, an emerging pollutant, have garnered widespread attention due to potential repercussions on human health and the environment. Given the critical role of seafood in food security, growing concerns about microplastics might be detrimental to meeting future global food demand. This study employed a discrete choice experiment to investigate Chilean consumers' preferences for technology aimed at mitigating microplastic levels in mussels. Using a between-subjects design with information treatments, we examined the impact of informing consumers about potential human health and environmental effects linked to microplastics pollution on their valuation for the technology. We found that the information treatments increased consumers’ willingness to pay for mussels. Specifically, consumers were willing to pay a premium of around US$ 4 for 250g of mussel meat with a 90% depuration efficiency certification. The provision of health impact information increased the price premium by 56%, while the provision of environmental information increased it by 21%. Furthermore, combined health and environmental information significantly increased the probability of non-purchasing behavior by 22.8% and the risk perception of microplastics for human health by 5.8%. These results emphasized the critical role of information in shaping consumer preferences and provided evidence for validating investment in research and development related to microplastic pollution mitigation measures

Comanagement of small-scale fisheries and ecosystem services

Marine ecosystem services are in global decline, which requires new transformational changes in governance to cope with multiple anthropogenic stressors. We perform a systematic literature review of the biodiversity and ecosystem services outcomes of a governance transformation toward comanagement through the allocation of territorial user rights to artisanal fisher associations (TURFs) in Chile. We synthesize the implications of more than 25 years of establishing a TURF policy over ecosystem services. Results show TURFs sustain biodiversity and all typologies of ecosystem services when they are well enforced. Research on provisioning services is most prevalent, however cultural services have been gaining traction with studies assessing the role of leadership, sanctions, and social capital in determining TURF outcomes. The results suggest that TURFs can play an important role in creating social and ecological enabling conditions for local stewardship. While this is encouraging, there is a bias toward positive results and few studies address negative consequences of TURFs aimed at identifying constraints for further development. The review shows that there has been a continuous transition toward interdisciplinary social–ecological research. Research on TURFs faced with drivers of global change and uncertainty are urgently needed, in order to anticipate unintended outcomes and adapt accordingly

An experimental look at trust, bargaining, and public goods in fishing communities

Pro-social behavior is crucial to the sustainable governance of common-pool resources such as fisheries. Here, we investigate how key socioeconomic characteristics influence fishers’ pro-social and bargaining behavior in three types of experimental economic games (public goods, trust, and trade) conducted in fishing associations in Chile. Our games revealed high levels of cooperation in the public goods game, a high degree of trust, and that sellers rather than buyers had more bargaining power, yet these results were strongly influenced by participants’ socioeconomic characteristics. Specifically, gender, having a secondary income source, age, and being the main income provider for the household all had a relationship to multiple game outcomes. Our results highlight that engagement in pro-social behaviors such as trust and cooperation can be influenced by people’s socioeconomic context

Ten thousand voices on marine climate change in Europe: different perceptions among demographic groups and nationalities

Over the past few decades, substantial funding has been directed towards improving scientific understanding and management of impacts of climate change in the marine environment. Following concerns that the key messages from these studies were not reaching the public, a comprehensive opinion poll of 10,000 European citizens in 10 countries was conducted to establish levels of awareness, concern, and trust among different demographic groups (by age, gender, proximity to the coast) and nationalities. Citizens exhibited varying levels of self-declared ‘informedness’ and concern. Citizens from Germany, Italy and Spain claimed to be the most informed on marine climate change issues; those from Czech Republic, Netherlands and Estonia claimed to be least informed. Respondents were least aware of ocean acidification and most aware of melting sea ice, pollution and overfishing. Citizens of Italy suggested that they were generally most concerned about marine climate change issues. Respondents from coastal areas claimed to be both more informed and more concerned than those living inland, as did females and older age groups (54-64 years). European citizens obtain information about climate change in the seas and ocean from different sources, particularly television and the internet. Trust in the various media sources varies among countries and demographic groups. Television is trusted most in Estonia, Germany and Ireland and least in France. The internet is trusted most in Italy, Czech Republic and Estonia, but least in France and the United Kingdom. 18-24 year olds are the biggest users of the internet, but trust this source less than older age groups. Academic scientists or those working for environmental NGOs are trusted more than scientists working for government or industry. Citizens from France are more trusting of industry than any other country polled. In terms of policy actions, most respondents highlighted mitigation measures as opposed to local-scale adaptation. Younger participants prioritised actions associated with reducing carbon emissions, whereas older age groups prioritised improving coastal defences. Successful adaptation to the impacts of climate change requires public engagement and support for policy decisions, and the use of different approaches to take account of differences among demographic groups and nationalities