Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and fisheries management in the Torres Strait, Australia: the catalytic role of turtles and dugong as cultural keystone species

In many developing regions of Melanesia, fishers’ traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) has been integrated with western science and management knowledge (SMK) to generate innovative and effective fisheries management. Previous research suggests that three factors initiate this process: depleted fishery stocks, limited SMK, and ownership of resources by local communities. In other contexts the extent of power-sharing through comanagement, and the cultural significance of species may also be important determinants of knowledge integration. Here we assess the role of these factors in the application of TEK in the Torres Strait Islands, Australia, where commercial and subsistence fisheries are fundamental to the Indigenous Melanesian culture and livelihoods. In 2009 we surveyed fishery managers and scientists who revealed that TEK had only been recently and sparingly applied in four fisheries (turtle, dugong, lobster, and hand collectables), and only two of the seven species concerned had a combination of depleted stocks, low SMK, and high community ownership. Instead, comanagement characteristics and the cultural value of species were the primary determinants of TEK application. We suggest that turtles and dugong are cultural keystone species that simultaneously provide important ecosystem services to both islanders’ livelihoods and international conservation interests. Combined with their ecological scale these species have catalyzed comanagement between indigenous and government stakeholders, precipitating the application of TEK in other fisheries of lesser cultural importance. We discuss modifications to governance required to enable knowledge integration to evolve further through adaptive comanagement, and its role in enhancing fisheries management and thus the resilience of the Torres Strait social-ecological system. Our study highlights the potential utility of cultural keystone species in stimulating cross-cultural resource governance in developed economies such as Australia

The effectiveness of locally managed marine areas in Fiji.

Marine resources, the mainstay of most Pacific Island peoples livelihoods have been dwindling rapidly over the last several decades. Creating locally managed marine areas (LMMA) is one such effort to reverse this trend that utilizes community based adaptive management(CBAM) process, based on progressive participatory community-driven approaches informed by marrying scientific and traditional knowledge. Despite the widespread promotion of LMMAs in Fiji over the last 15 years, their role and effectiveness remains contested. Hence, this paper focused on the key question: to what extent does LMMA work as a practical and useful approach to marine conservation in Fiji? The progress of scaling up LMMAs to national level across 300 Fijian communities is first reviewed. Both empirical and experiential evidences on successes and challenges of LMMAs are also presented. Household incomes have improved by as much as 30%, fish catches increased, communities adaptive capacity enhanced, knowledge and attitudes improved and a sense of ocean stewardship, ownership and pride being restored back into communities. LMMAs have also transformed decision making for customary marine areas from a more traditional, autocratic style to a more participatory and democratic process of governance. In addition, social learning motivated by the CBAM approach is clearly evident in the adaptive measures implemented by communities and in policies and legislation put in place by provinces and the national government. In conclusion, the Fiji study revealed that LMMAs leads to improvement in the livelihoods of the people in all sorts of ways, both anticipated and unanticipated