23 research outputs found
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US Caribbean fish trap fishery socioeconomic study
Concerns over the potential impacts of trap fishing on coral reefs and associated habitats prompted a socioeconomic study to characterize the U.S. Caribbean fish trap fishery in anticipation of management actions. Stratified random interviews of one hundred fishermen revealed the presence of a diverse fishery, with appreciable inter-island differences in levels of fishing dependence, fishing practices, and capital investment. High levels of fishing dependence Were observed among fishermen in the U.S. Virgin Islands, whereas Puerto Rican fishermen exhibited a more diversified livelihood strategy. Fishermen from St. Croix derived 62% of their household income from fish traps, significantly more than fishermen from St. Thomas/St. John and Puerto Rico, who derived 45% and 41%, respectively, of their household incomes from fish traps. The St. Thomas/St. John fleet was also larger and more capital-intensive than the Crucian and Puerto Rican fleets. This structural heterogeneity suggests that fishermen from the various islands may respond differently to the same regulatory constraint. Thus, targeted policies may be necessary to improve the socioeconomic performance of the fishery and the political acceptability of management actions
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Stewardship and Conservation of the Marine Environment Marine Protected Areas
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are spatial management tools whose primary objective is the conservation of coastal and marine resources. MPAs represent a clearly defined geographical space managed by legal means to achieve the long-term conservation of marine and coastal environments for the natural, social, and cultural values that they represent. Recent decades have witnessed a proliferation of MPAs across a variety of habitats and for various purposes, and as the science of MPAs has matured, their effectiveness in promoting biodiversity function and protection, enhancing fisheries production and networks, preserving submerged cultural resources, and providing tourism and other non-extractive benefits has been increasingly recognized. This chapter discusses the ecological, economic, social, and governance dimensions of MPAs and the benefits (and challenges) that they can offer
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Small-scale fishers' perceptions about the performance of seasonal closures in the commonwealth of Puerto Rico
The targeting of spawning aggregations is one of the most significant pressures facing coral reef ecosystems. The use of seasonal closures has been advanced for protecting aggregating fisheries for which managers have limited information on the location and timing of their reproductive events; however, few studies have examined the performance of these types of closures. This study assesses the perceptions of 150 fishers regarding the performance of seasonal closures in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.Our results show that most fishers perceived that seasonal closures are effective fishery management measures. Across the six seasonal closures examined, fishers reported that these closures protected spawning aggregations and, to a lesser degree, increased fish abundance. These measures, however, did not always improve fishers' livelihoods nor result in their support for the seasonal closures. The loss of resource and market access during periods of high consumer demand and overlapping seasonal closures were the main causes of financial distress.Fishers indicated that the performance of the seasonal closures could be improved by increasing investments in monitoring, control, and surveillance capabilities, and adjusting their timing to accommodate economic and local ecological considerations. Fishers argued that revisions were necessary because some species spawned year-round or outside closure windows. Some fishers also called for replacing seasonal closures with alternative management measures (e.g., area-time closures, marine protected areas, gear restrictions), conducting additional scientific research, and improving fisher education. This work underscores that beliefs about conservation and livelihood outcomes are closely linked to the quality of management, the importance of conducting periodic assessments, and engaging fishers in decision-making to increase accountability, transparency, and support for management interventions.•Seasonal closures can help protect aggregating fisheries that have limited data on the location and timing of their reproductive events.•Closures were perceived to be effective at protecting spawning aggregations, but these measures did not always improve fishers' livelihoods.•Many fishers were conflicted between their normative preferences and immediate economic needs.•The loss of resource and market access during periods of high demand and overlapping seasonal closures were the main causes of financial distress.•Fishers called for increased monitoring, control, and surveillance to reduce poaching and encourage compliance