Governance, ecological knowledge, and small-scale marine fisheries sustainability in the Indo-Pacific

Background/Question/Methods

In the Indo - Pacific, the world’s most biodiverse marine system, a wide variety of state, market, cultural, and non-human factors influence marine resource use. Fisheries and resources in the Wakatobi Marine National Park, Sulawesi, Indonesia, are characteristic of those in many parts of the Indo - Pacific, and local citizens and external organizations alike are attempting to implement management schemes to reduce overfishing here. This project examined, 1) the biological sustainability of Wakatobi artisinal fisheries, and 2) the fisheries governance institutions existing in human communities of the region, so to determine the most effective means of management for the region. Our objectives were to, 1) quantify the magnitude of artisinal fishing and determine whether fish communities were being harvested unsustainably, 2) specify governance institutions influencing marine resource use patterns and analyze the relative importance of each institution, and 3) determine the institutions, or suite of institutions, most capable of promoting sustainable use of marine resources in the region. A five year study was conducted to complement older Wakatobi fishing data, fish catches were monitored in representative villages, and fish surveys were conducted on regional reefs. Local government and market regulation schemes were devised to reduce fishing pressure, and community education programs were also conducted to share information regarding regional biota and fishing trends.

Results/Conclusions

The interaction between worldview and knowledge, resulting from beliefs, experiences, and education programs, was found to be of primary importance in the shift toward sustainable use levels. Changes in worldview and knowledge moved communities to adopt both state regulations and a market for fishing rights. Effective implementation of these schemes, however, has been stalled largely because few state resources exist for sufficient enforcement, whilst social capital to connect regional ethnic groups is lacking. Thus, the differential and partially-independent effects of state, market and cultural institutions mean disregard for one or more of these governance systems may lead to unexpected and potentially undesired resource use patterns. We conclude that incorporation of diverse governance mechanisms into management plans will most effectively facilitate sustainable artisinal fisheries in the Indo-Pacific.