The largest rookery for hawksbill turtles in the oceanic South Pacific is the Arnavon Islands, which are located in the Manning Strait between Isabel and Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands. The history of this rookery is one of... more
The largest rookery for hawksbill turtles in the oceanic South Pacific is the Arnavon Islands, which are located in the Manning Strait between Isabel and Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands. The history of this rookery is one of overexploitation, conflict and violence. Throughout the 1800s Roviana headhunters from New Georgia repeatedly raided the Manning Strait to collect hawksbill shell which they traded with European whalers. By the 1970s the Arnavons
hawksbill population was in severe decline and the national government intervened, declaring the Arnavons a sanctuary in 1976. But this government led initiative was short lived, with traditional owners burning down the government infrastructure and resuming intensive harvesting in 1982. In 1991 routine beach monitoring and turtle tagging commenced at the Arnavons along with extensive community consultations regarding the islands’ future, and in 1995 the Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area (ACMCA) was established. Around the same time national legislation banning the sale of all turtle products was passed. This paper represents the first analysis of data from 4536 beach surveys and 845 individual turtle tagging histories obtained from the Arnavons between 1991-2012. Our results and the results of others, reveal that many of the hawksbill turtles that nest at the ACMCA forage in distant Australian waters, and that nesting on the Arnavons occurs throughout the year with
peak nesting activity coinciding with the austral winter. Our results also provide the first known evidence of recovery for a western pacific hawksbill rookery, with the number of nests laid at the ACMCA and the remigration rates of turtles doubling since the establishment of the ACMCA in 1995. The Arnavons case study provides an example of how changes in policy, inclusive community-based management and long term commitment can turn the tide for one of the most charismatic and endangered species on our planet.
hawksbill population was in severe decline and the national government intervened, declaring the Arnavons a sanctuary in 1976. But this government led initiative was short lived, with traditional owners burning down the government infrastructure and resuming intensive harvesting in 1982. In 1991 routine beach monitoring and turtle tagging commenced at the Arnavons along with extensive community consultations regarding the islands’ future, and in 1995 the Arnavon Community Marine Conservation Area (ACMCA) was established. Around the same time national legislation banning the sale of all turtle products was passed. This paper represents the first analysis of data from 4536 beach surveys and 845 individual turtle tagging histories obtained from the Arnavons between 1991-2012. Our results and the results of others, reveal that many of the hawksbill turtles that nest at the ACMCA forage in distant Australian waters, and that nesting on the Arnavons occurs throughout the year with
peak nesting activity coinciding with the austral winter. Our results also provide the first known evidence of recovery for a western pacific hawksbill rookery, with the number of nests laid at the ACMCA and the remigration rates of turtles doubling since the establishment of the ACMCA in 1995. The Arnavons case study provides an example of how changes in policy, inclusive community-based management and long term commitment can turn the tide for one of the most charismatic and endangered species on our planet.
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Despite the importance of the sea cucumber trade in terms of foreign revenue generation for Papua New Guinea and cash income for local fishers, stock collapse nationally led to a nationwide closure coming into force from 2009. There is... more
Despite the importance of the sea cucumber trade in terms of foreign revenue generation for Papua New Guinea and cash income for local fishers, stock collapse nationally led to a nationwide closure coming into force from 2009. There is now increasing interest in examining the role of locally based management strategies in sustaining sea cucumber populations. The present work was undertaken in support of the decentralisation of sea cucumber fisheries within Papua New Guinea, and encompassed two major goals: a rigorous stock assessment of the density and status of a sea cucumber population, and an understanding of larval dispersal between and connectivity among populations.
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Many coral reef fish species that have long been important for food and livelihoods reproduce by gathering in large, concentrated and predictable spawning aggregations. Particularly over the last two decades, these have become the target... more
Many coral reef fish species that have long been important for food and livelihoods reproduce by gathering in large, concentrated and predictable spawning aggregations. Particularly over the last two decades, these have become the target of expanding fishing pressure. Yet we are only recently beginning to understand their value to coral reef health, fishing communities and their vulnerability to fishing. An analysis of 888 records of fish spawning aggregations for over 200 species from 44 families in 52 countries has revealed important information for science and management of fish aggregations and the fisheries they support. The records are maintained in a global web-based database managed by Science and Conservation of Fish Aggregations (SCRFA). Currently over a quarter of the records show a declining trend in numbers of fish aggregating, and alarmingly 4% are documented as having disappeared entirely. Despite the limited information available on the level of management and monitoring of these aggregations, current information suggests that only about 35% have some form of management in place such as marine protected areas or seasonal protection from fishing, and only about 25% have some form of monitoring. Four case studies on the effectiveness of management of aggregations are provided for red hind in the tropical western Atlantic, square-tailed coral grouper in Melanesia, three species of grouper in Palau and Pohnpei, and white seabass in eastern Pacific. This Status Report provides the current status based on the best available information for fish spawning aggregations globally. Additional records are needed on a range of species from more locations around the world to further understand aggregating species and exploitation of aggregations.
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International environmental organizations have an increasing commitment to the development of conservation programs in high-diversity regions where indigenous communities maintain customary rights to their lands and seas. A major... more
International environmental organizations have an increasing commitment to the development of conservation programs in high-diversity regions where indigenous communities maintain customary rights to their lands and seas. A major challenge that these programs face is the alignment of international conservation values with those of the indigenous communities whose cooperation and support are vital. International environmental organizations are focused on biodiversity conservation, but local communities often have a different range of concerns and interests, only some of which relate to biodiversity. One solution to this problem involves adoption of a cultural landscape approach as the ethical and organizational foundation of the conservation program. In our conservation work in coastal Melanesia, we have developed a cultural landscape approach that involves the construction of a conceptual model of environment that reflects the indigenous perceptions of landscape. This model incorporates cultural, ideational, and spiritual values alongside other ecosystem services and underpins the conservation activities, priorities, and organizational structure of our programs. This cultural landscape model was a reaction to a survey of environmental values conducted by our team in which Solomon Islanders reported far greater interest in conserving cultural heritage sites than any other ecosystem resources. This caused a radical rethinking of community-based conservation programs. The methodologies we adopted are derived from the fields of archaeology and historical anthropology, in which there is an established practice of working through research problems within the framework of indigenous
concepts of, and relationship to, landscape. In our work in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, coastal communities have enthusiastically adopted conservation programs that are based on cultural landscape models that recognize indigenous values. A particularly useful tool is the Cultural Heritage Module, which identifies cultural heritage sites that become targets of conservation management and that
are used as part of a holistic framework for thinking about broader conservation values.
concepts of, and relationship to, landscape. In our work in Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, coastal communities have enthusiastically adopted conservation programs that are based on cultural landscape models that recognize indigenous values. A particularly useful tool is the Cultural Heritage Module, which identifies cultural heritage sites that become targets of conservation management and that
are used as part of a holistic framework for thinking about broader conservation values.
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Research Interests:
Abstract Partnerships between scientists and local communities can increase research capacity and data delivery while improving management effectiveness through enhanced community participation. To encourage such collaboration, this study... more
Abstract Partnerships between scientists and local communities can increase research capacity and data delivery while improving management effectiveness through enhanced community participation. To encourage such collaboration, this study demonstrates how these partnerships can be formed, drawing on two case studies in coral reef ecosystems in very different social settings (Papua New Guinea and Australia). In each case, steps towards successfully engaging communities in research were similar.
The squaretail coralgrouper Plectropomus areolatus was identified as a fast-growing, early maturing and relatively short-lived aggregation-spawning epinephelid. Examinations of sectioned otoliths found females and males first maturing at... more
The squaretail coralgrouper Plectropomus areolatus was identified as a fast-growing, early maturing and relatively short-lived aggregation-spawning epinephelid. Examinations of sectioned otoliths found females and males first maturing at 2 and 3 years, respectively, suggesting protogynous hermaphroditism; however, no transitionals were observed in samples. Age distribution for the two sexes was similar and both were represented in the oldest age class; however, significant sex-specific differences in size-at-age were identified. Both sexes fully recruit into the fishery at age 4 years and reach 90% of asymptotic length by age 3 years. Underwater visual assessments, combined with the gonado-somatic indices, revealed a 5 month reproductive season, with interannual variability observed in the month of highest density within the spawning aggregation. Catch restrictions on adults during spawning times and at reproductive sites, combined with gear-based management and enhanced enforcement, are recommended to maintain spawning stocks. Based on the available evidence, the sexual pattern for this species is unresolved.
In many tropical nations, fisheries management requires a community-based approach because small customary marine tenure areas define the spatial scale of management. However, the fate of larvae originating from a community’s tenure is... more
In many tropical nations, fisheries management requires a community-based approach because small customary marine tenure areas define the spatial scale of management. However, the fate of larvae originating from a community’s tenure is unknown, and thus the degree to which a community can expect their management actions to replenish the fisheries within their tenure is unclear. Furthermore, whether and how much larval dispersal links tenure areas can provide a strong basis for cooperative management. Using genetic parentage analysis, we measured larval dispersal from a single, managed spawning aggregation of squaretail coral grouper (Plectropomus areolatus) and determined its contribution to fisheries replenishment within five community tenure areas up to 33 km from the aggregation at Manus Island, Papua New Guinea. Within the community tenure area containing the aggregation, 17%–25% of juveniles were produced by the aggregation. In four adjacent tenure areas, 6%–17% of juveniles were from the aggregation. Larval dispersal kernels predict that 50% of larvae settled within 14 km of the aggregation. These results strongly suggest that both local and cooperative management actions can provide fisheries benefits to communities over small spatial scales.
The coral reefs and lagoons in Kia District, Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, support very high abundances of bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). In the Kia District bumphead parrotfish also form the basis of a small scale... more
The coral reefs and lagoons in Kia District, Isabel Province, Solomon Islands, support very high abundances of bumphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum). In the Kia District bumphead parrotfish also form the basis of a small scale nighttime spear fishery, which has provided an important source of income for rural communities over the past two decades. Free diving spearfishermen use an underwater flashlight and a rubber powered handheld spear to capture bumphead parrotfish. Local knowledge regarding where resting schools of this species occur is utilized to ensure fishing success.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Isabel Ridges to Reefs Conservation Plan can be used to guide future conservation and development activities throughout Isabel. The plan allows stakeholders to visualise the location of conservation priorities for... more
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Isabel Ridges to Reefs Conservation Plan can be used to guide future conservation and development activities throughout Isabel. The plan allows stakeholders to visualise the location of conservation priorities for Isabel Province, the threats that the biodiversity of Isabel faces and what a successfully implemented protected area network across Isabel could look like under several different scenarios. It provides an important step towards establishing an Isabel Ridges to Reefs Protected Area Network (IPAN), which would support future food and freshwater security, preserve the islands remarkable biodiversity and reduce the stress on terrestrial and marine environments, hereby increasing the resilience of natural systems to external shocks such as climate change.
The process of developing the plan was locally driven and involved a range of stakeholders. The planning process included an initial stakeholder planning workshop in Buala in February 2012, a second stakeholder planning workshop in Kia in April 2012 and a final workshop in Buala in June 2012. These workshops brought together community members from every district of Isabel, along with representatives from provincial and national government, NGOs and development industries. The workshops began with presentations from church leaders, government officials, chiefs and scientists on the status of Isabel’s environment and the need to protect it for the future prosperity of the people of Isabel. Workshop facilitators then presented the best available national scale data on the various marine and forest types of Isabel, and described some of the threats these different types of habitats face.
To document fine scale information and make the planning process relevant, local stakeholders used participatory mapping to identify local features within their customarily owned lands and seas that are of high conservation value to them. These features represent important biological and cultural resources that would benefit from protection or management, such as sources of freshwater, cultural heritage sites, turtle nesting beaches, fish spawning aggregations and megapode nesting areas. Participatory mapping was also used to identify threats to biodiversity (e.g. logging, mining and areas susceptible to climate change) and to map areas of conservation opportunity, such as sites that are proposed but not yet managed. These local conservation features were digitised and put into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format. Conservation targets (how much of each feature should be protected across Isabel) were set at a minimum of 17% for all terrestrial and 10% for all marine conservation features that were identified from national scale data, that being in line the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) targets which Solomon Islands is a signatory to. Stakeholders wanted higher levels of protection for the locally identified conservation features, so minimum and maximum levels of protection were used for these features. All this information was then analysed with the software Marxan to produce three different conservation priority maps for Isabel Province.
As well as providing background and guidance for conservation and development across Isabel province, this report provides constructive progress regarding Solomon Islands commitment to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the identification of terrestrial and marine priorities as part of the Program of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA). This report also makes progress towards implementing the Solomon Islands National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) which all of the Premiers of the Solomon Islands signed in 2009. Specifically it addresses Themes 2 and 3 of the NBSAP, which concern species conservation and protected area systems.
The Isabel Ridges to Reefs Conservation Plan can be used to guide future conservation and development activities throughout Isabel. The plan allows stakeholders to visualise the location of conservation priorities for Isabel Province, the threats that the biodiversity of Isabel faces and what a successfully implemented protected area network across Isabel could look like under several different scenarios. It provides an important step towards establishing an Isabel Ridges to Reefs Protected Area Network (IPAN), which would support future food and freshwater security, preserve the islands remarkable biodiversity and reduce the stress on terrestrial and marine environments, hereby increasing the resilience of natural systems to external shocks such as climate change.
The process of developing the plan was locally driven and involved a range of stakeholders. The planning process included an initial stakeholder planning workshop in Buala in February 2012, a second stakeholder planning workshop in Kia in April 2012 and a final workshop in Buala in June 2012. These workshops brought together community members from every district of Isabel, along with representatives from provincial and national government, NGOs and development industries. The workshops began with presentations from church leaders, government officials, chiefs and scientists on the status of Isabel’s environment and the need to protect it for the future prosperity of the people of Isabel. Workshop facilitators then presented the best available national scale data on the various marine and forest types of Isabel, and described some of the threats these different types of habitats face.
To document fine scale information and make the planning process relevant, local stakeholders used participatory mapping to identify local features within their customarily owned lands and seas that are of high conservation value to them. These features represent important biological and cultural resources that would benefit from protection or management, such as sources of freshwater, cultural heritage sites, turtle nesting beaches, fish spawning aggregations and megapode nesting areas. Participatory mapping was also used to identify threats to biodiversity (e.g. logging, mining and areas susceptible to climate change) and to map areas of conservation opportunity, such as sites that are proposed but not yet managed. These local conservation features were digitised and put into a Geographic Information System (GIS) format. Conservation targets (how much of each feature should be protected across Isabel) were set at a minimum of 17% for all terrestrial and 10% for all marine conservation features that were identified from national scale data, that being in line the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) targets which Solomon Islands is a signatory to. Stakeholders wanted higher levels of protection for the locally identified conservation features, so minimum and maximum levels of protection were used for these features. All this information was then analysed with the software Marxan to produce three different conservation priority maps for Isabel Province.
As well as providing background and guidance for conservation and development across Isabel province, this report provides constructive progress regarding Solomon Islands commitment to the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) and the identification of terrestrial and marine priorities as part of the Program of Work on Protected Areas (PoWPA). This report also makes progress towards implementing the Solomon Islands National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) which all of the Premiers of the Solomon Islands signed in 2009. Specifically it addresses Themes 2 and 3 of the NBSAP, which concern species conservation and protected area systems.
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Within the marine conservation community there is considerable interest in combining local knowledge and science to achieve management objectives. Yet there remain few studies which have examined the merits and caveats of local knowledge,... more
Within the marine conservation community there is considerable interest in combining local knowledge and science to achieve management objectives. Yet there remain few studies which have examined the merits and caveats of local knowledge, or shown how combining both knowledge systems has resulted in better management outcomes. This study outlines collaborative efforts to conserve fish spawning aggregations (FSAs) in Roviana Lagoon, Western Solomon Islands. Baseline information on FSAs was obtained through local knowledge and spearfishing creel surveys. This information provided the starting point for establishing a two-year community-based underwater monitoring program at the largest known FSA in Roviana Lagoon, where the brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) and squaretail coralgrouper (Plectropomus areolatus) co-aggregate. This participatory research shows that local knowledge on FSAs is utilised to maximise returns from fishing, with spearfishermen targeting aggregations at night during the lunar periods when abundances peak. Because of its shallow distribution P. areolatus is the most vulnerable of the three groupers to nighttime spearfishing, with two fishermen capable of removing 15-30% of the total spawning biomass in two nights. Underwater monitoring demonstrates that while fishermen provided accurate information on many aspects of FSAs, their knowledge on spawning seasons was inaccurate for the FSA reported on here. Peak aggregations occurred from December to April each year, which differs from the traditionally recognised grouper season of October to January. A combination of local knowledge and science was used to develop appropriate management measures for this FSA, with the aggregation declared a community-based marine protected area (MPA) in 2006
Bolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes 1839), the largest of the scarine labrids (Choat et al. 2006), is an excavating parrotfish (Scaridae). The genus is monotypic and comprises a distinct lineage within the group and is notable for its... more
Bolbometopon muricatum (Valenciennes 1839), the largest of the scarine labrids (Choat et al. 2006), is an excavating parrotfish (Scaridae). The genus is monotypic and comprises a distinct lineage within the group and is notable for its massive jaws and associated musculature (Bellwood 1994). The evolutionary history of the scarine labrids identifies them as a geographically widespread but relatively recent group, confined mainly to coral reefs. The lineage containing Bolbometopon diverged approximately 13 my bp (Alfaro et al. 2009). Although the parrotfishes have a number of distinctive morphological and nutritional traits recent phylogenetic analyses place them within the broader grouping of the Family Labridae (Westneat AND Alfaro 2004). We now know that large wrasses such as Cheilinus undulatus (Sect. 12.13) are more closely related to large parrotfishes such as Bolbometopon than they are to many of the smaller wrasses that inhabit coral reefs. B. muricatum is widespread on Indo- Pacific coral reefs with a distribution covering 37.6 × 106 km2 and extending from the Red Sea through the Indian Ocean and Indo-Australian archipelago to the central and southern Pacific excluding the Hawaiian Islands and the Marquesas.
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Knowledge of the existence, location and timing of reef fish spawning aggregations is largely obtained from Local Ecological Knowledge in the fishing communities that exploit, or once exploited them. This information is typically... more
Knowledge of the existence, location and timing of reef fish spawning aggregations is largely obtained from Local Ecological Knowledge in the fishing communities that exploit, or once exploited them. This information is typically collected by interviewing, followed, ideally, by validation by visiting and surveying reported aggregation sites. Conducting interviews is a relatively simple process that can be extremely productive but only if the interviewees are engaged and selected carefully (by gear, location, age, etc.), the interviewer is knowledgeable, prepared and gains the respect of the interviewee, and the various limitations of interviews as a source of information are clearly understood. Moreover, to ensure that information cannot potentially be misused and can be effectively applied to management and conservation, it is important that it is not only validated, and shared and communicated appropriately, but that it is integrated into the relevant scientific framework, and that confidentiality is respected as necessary. We review a range of studies from around the tropics based on the interview approach, evaluate its effectiveness against validated aggregations, and provide guidelines for what we believe to be good interview practices.
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In the Coral Triangle community-based marine protected areas (MPAs) are being established at a prolific rate. Their establishment can benefit both fisheries and biodiversity, and they provide both a socially and economically acceptable... more
In the Coral Triangle community-based marine protected areas (MPAs) are being established at a prolific rate. Their establishment can benefit both fisheries and biodiversity, and they provide both a socially and economically acceptable means of managing coral reefs in developing nations. However, because such MPAs are typically small (usually <0.5 km2), they will rarely provide protection to large mobile fishes. An exception to this limitation may exist when community-based MPAs are established to protect small sites where vital processes occur, such as fish spawning aggregations (FSAs). To test the effectiveness of small (0.1–0.2 km2) MPAs for protecting FSAs, we monitored three FSA sites where brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus), camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) and squaretail coralgrouper (Plectropomus areolatus) aggregate to spawn. Sites were monitored during peak reproductive periods (several days prior to each new moon) between January 2005 and November 2009. All three sites are located in New Ireland Province, Papua New Guinea, and had been exploited for decades, but in 2004 two sites were protected by the establishment of community-based MPAs. The third site continued to be exploited. Over the monitoring period densities of E. fuscoguttatus and E. polyphekadion increased at both MPAs, but not at the site that remained open to fishing. At one MPA the densities of E. polyphekadion increased tenfold. Our findings demonstrate that community-based MPAs that are appropriately designed and adequately enforced can lead to the recovery of populations of vulnerable species that aggregate to spawn.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Human factors more than ecology dictate conservation opportunity and the subsequent success of implementation. This is particularly true in places such as the Solomon Islands where most terrestrial and coastal marine areas remain in... more
Human factors more than ecology dictate conservation opportunity and the subsequent success of implementation. This is particularly true in places such as the Solomon Islands where most terrestrial and coastal marine areas remain in community ownership. However, factors such as community support are not reliably predictable, nor easy to map, and therefore challenging to incorporate into systematic conservation plans. Here, we describe how the Lauru Land Conference of Tribal Communities and The Nature Conservancy have worked with the communities of Choiseul Province, Solomon Islands, to develop a conservation planning process that reconciles community-driven conservation opportunities, with a systematic and representation-based approach to prioritization. We suggest how sophisticated prioritization software can be used collaboratively in a community setting, to dynamically assess and guide conservation opportunities as they arise; a process of informed opportunism.
Partnerships between scientists and local communities can increase research capacity and data delivery while improving management effectiveness through enhanced community participation. To encourage such collaboration, this study... more
Partnerships between scientists and local communities can increase research capacity and data delivery while improving management effectiveness through enhanced community participation. To encourage such collaboration, this study demonstrates how these partnerships can be formed, drawing on two case studies in coral reef ecosystems in very different social settings (Papua New Guinea and Australia). In each case, steps towards successfully engaging communities in research were similar. These included: (1) early engagement by collaborating organizations to build trust, (2) ensuring scientific questions have direct relevance to the community, (3) providing appropriate incentives for participation, and (4) clear and open communication. Community participants engaged in a variety of research activities, including locating and capturing fishes, collecting and recording data (weight, length and sex), applying external tags, and removing otoliths (ear bones) for ageing and elemental analysis. Research partnerships with communities enhanced research capacity, reduced costs and, perhaps more importantly, improved the likelihood of long-term community support for marine protected areas (MPAs).
The Nature Conservancy takes a strategic and systematic approach to conservation planning. Ecoregional assessments are used to set goals and identify geographical priorities, and Conservation Action Planning is used to develop strategic... more
The Nature Conservancy takes a strategic and systematic approach to conservation planning. Ecoregional assessments are used to set goals and identify geographical priorities, and Conservation Action Planning is used to develop strategic plans for conservation areas. This study demonstrates how these planning processes were applied at the seascape scale based on a case study of Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. Conservation Action Planning was used to identify key threats and strategies, and systematic conservation planning (similar to that used for ecoregional assessments) was used to design a network of marine protected areas to be resilient to the threat of climate change. The design was based on an assessment of biodiversity and socio-economic values, and identified 14 Areas of Interest that meet specific conservation goals. A detailed community-based planning process is now underway with local communities that own and manage these areas to refine and implement the marine protected area network.
An investigation of the reproductive biology of the green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) from three areas in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands revealed that B. muricatum exhibits several features that differ from... more
An investigation of the reproductive biology of the green humphead parrotfish (Bolbometopon muricatum) from three areas in the Western Province of the Solomon Islands revealed that B. muricatum exhibits several features that differ from the pattern of reproductive development observed in most parrotfishes. Unlike most parrotfishes, histological evidence suggests that the sexual pattern of B. muricatum is essentially gonochoristic with high incidences of anatomical but non-functional hermaphroditism. B. muricatum also differs from other parrotfishes in that all males pass through an immature female (or bisexual) phase as demonstrated by all adult testis retaining the ex-ovarian lumen and peripheral sperm sinuses in the gonad wall. However, a protogynous diandric reproductive strategy cannot be excluded given that sampling may have missed transitional individuals. Marked variation in the demography of male B. muricatum between the three locations examined is considered to reflect variation in historical fishing effort.
Research Interests: Management, Earth Sciences, Remote Sensing, Conservation, Resilience, and 25 moreAustralia, Indigenous Knowledge, Natural Resource Management, Multidisciplinary, Planning, Biological Sciences, Environmental Conservation, Habitat Mapping, Image Classification, Environmental Sciences, Habitat, Classification, Projects, Integrated Coastal and Ocean Management, Knowledge Integration, Supervised Classification, Spatial Pattern, Marine Environment, Marine Protected Area, Management Strategy, Decision Maker, Habitat Structure, Social Science, Shallow Water, and Multi spectral
We describe five examples of how, by ignoring fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK), marine researchers and resource managers may put fishery resources at risk, or unnecessarily compromise the welfare of resource users. Fishers can provide... more
We describe five examples of how, by ignoring fishers’ ecological knowledge (FEK), marine researchers and resource managers may put fishery resources at risk, or unnecessarily compromise the welfare of resource users. Fishers can provide critical information on such things as interannual, seasonal, lunar, diel, tide-related and habitat-related differences in behaviour and abundance of target species, and on how these influence fishing strategies. Where long-term data sets are unavailable, older fishers are also often the only source of information on historical changes in local marine stocks and in marine environmental conditions. FEK can thus help improve management of target stocks and rebuild marine ecosystems. It can play important roles in the siting of marine protected areas and in environmental impact assessment. The fact that studying FEK does not meet criteria for acceptable research advanced by some marine biologists highlights the inadequacy of those criteria.