Analysis of Perceptions and Knowledge in Managing Coastal Resources: A Case Study in Fiji

Sustainable management of coastal resources depends on human knowledge and perceptions of natural resources and coastal environments. However, empirical evidence has been limited in order to understand linkages between knowledge, perceptions and collective actions to achieve sustainable resource management. This case study analyzed perceptions and knowledge among diverse stakeholders: villagers, government officials, scientists and staff of a non-governmental organization who are collaboratively working in a Fijian coastal community to manage the local coastal resources. Analyses were made using the integrated local environmental knowledge (ILEK) concept and frameworks of discourse analysis to clarify interlinkages between perceptions, knowledge and collective actions for a variety of examples. Research was conducted in Kumi village on the island of Viti Levu in Fiji, and the investigated projects included the management of a locally managed marine area, seaweed aquaculture, sea cucumber restoration and ginger plantations. These initiatives have shown that diverse knowledge on coastal resources and environments influence perceptions among people in a complex way, and transformation of perceptions produced new sets of knowledge through the generation of hypotheses regarding the management of coastal resources. Collective actions were promoted by the transformation of perceptions, and social learning processes were mobilized by these collective actions. Traditional institutions, cultures and leadership roles deeply embedded in the local communities had strong influences on shared perceptions among community members to provide foundations for collective actions. Dynamic transformations of perceptions promoted by integrated knowledge among community members were critical enablers of collective actions to achieve sustainable resource management

Octopuses in the south - west Pacific region: a review of fisheries, ecology, cultural importance and management

Octopuses present a difficult resource to manage because of their relatively short life spans, rapid growth rates, high natural mortality and seasonal fluctuations in abundance. With exploitation efforts increasing worldwide, particularly in the Pacific Island region, substantial knowledge gaps in their biology, exploitation and management remain. We conducted a literature review to summarise their species distribution, abundance, ecological attributes, utilization, importance and management within the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) of Fiji, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa and American Samoa. We found that 23 species of octopuses within 11 genera were recorded from these PICTs, belonging to the families Amphitretidae and Octopodidae. Overall, Tonga was the most speciose country with 11 occurrence records and Samoa recorded the least with just a single species. All other countries recorded between 2 and 8 taxa. The day octopus (Octopus cyanea) was recorded from all PICTs except Samoa. There are no specific national regulations on octopus fisheries within the PICTs and management is largely dependent on overarching national fisheries legislation. However, community-based management efforts can be an effective platform in sustaining octopus stocks. Octopuses also play an important role in the folklore and customs of many Pacific Islanders, and we provide a summary of these for the specific PICTs assessed. This review highlights areas for further research and development for the Pacific Island region and the urgent need to address specific knowledge gaps on octopus taxonomy, stock assessment and fishery management