Zoning Cambodia's First Marine Fisheries Management Area

ICES Journal of Marine Science, 2008

Ocean & Coastal Management, 2001

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are becoming a favoured management strategy for the conservation of marine biodiversity. We present an analysis of how fishery data from a trawl fishery in northern Australia can contribute to the process of developing a system of candidate MPAs. We investigate ways of using fishing grounds, bioregion and depth information as a means of classifying ecosystems, and then show how fishery data could be used in the process of selecting between candidate areas. The way that the fishing grounds are defined as surrogate ecosystems will determine the extent of the impact on fishery. Our analyses highlight some of the benefits of using fishery data in the process of developing MPAs. Early and continued involvement of the fisheries community will ensure that MPAs have a real chance of achieving their main objective of biodiversity conservation whilst possibly reducing the overexploitation of marine fishery resources. r

Conservation Letters, 2010

Although the importance of socioeconomic factors in conservation planning is increasingly recognized, there are few examples demonstrating how such factors can be practically incorporated into the design of protected area networks. Here, we illustrate how spatial zoning software can be used to consider local marine tenure explicitly in the design of marine protected area (MPA) networks, using a case study from the Philippines. By stipulating the minimum area of fishing grounds that must remain open to each local fishing community, we were able to design MPA networks that impacted local resource users more equitably and were therefore more likely to be socioeconomically viable. MPA networks that considered local tenure boundaries had a greater overall area and cost than those that sought to minimize costs to small-scale fishers as a single stakeholder group. However, in this context, established concepts of "efficiency" in conservation planning are likely to be less important than minimizing costs to each fishing community individually.

High human reliance on marine resources in developing countries is a challenge for implementing marine protected areas, which usually seek to limit or restrict fishing in selected areas. Fishers' spatial preferences should be considered during the site selection process, but biodiversity considerations are generally the primary focus. The Protected Area Suitability Index (PASI) is a fuzzy logic spatial planning tool that combines human preferences and conservation criteria to assess the suitability of marine sites for being protected from fishing and other extractive use. We apply the PASI in zoning a marine sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysia, with the objectives of (i) assessing the PASI's ability to capture fishers' spatial preferences; and (ii) comparing the nuances of community based and fuzzy logic approaches in spatial planning. There was overlap in sites chosen for protection by both approaches, and multi-dimensional scaling results suggest that the PASI captures fishers' preferences. Community consultations enable direct integration of local knowledge to fill gaps in scientific knowledge, but can be time consuming and expensive. The PASI is an alternative to data and labour intensive conservation planning tools that are currently available, and can be particularly useful for zoning marine protected areas in data poor developing countries where conservation requires quick action.

The effectiveness of designing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can support the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process and vice versa. However, selecting suitable sites for MPAs is challenging due to anthropogenic activities increasing the cumulative risk of ecosystems in coastal regions. This study demonstrates cumulative risk application in Balikpapan Bay, Indonesia, as an MPA site selection process example with meaningful ecological and socio-economic information. We coupled InVEST and Marxan modeling software to analyze multiple conservation scenarios. Results indicated fishing, coastal development and oil gas exploration were the greatest risk activities to the habitat and species. These results were used as a cost layer in Marxan to select protection areas. We identified 189.09 km 2 areas as a high priority, with the upstream bay being the highest, decreasing downstream. The findings provide valuable input and support allocating space to a potential MPA in the MSP process to improve the management of alternative development.

Conservation Biology, 2002

Ocean & Coastal Management, 2007

In marine protected areas (MPAs), zoning schemes can help balance multiple resource uses. Literature on ocean zoning design methods points out the need for analytical tools that guarantee stakeholder involvement and that address the unique spatial characteristics of the sea, especially under multiple jurisdictions. I illustrate the use of a method of spatial multi-criteria analysis (MCA) that combines data of the land and ocean environment with stakeholder preferences to identify areas most suitable for varying levels of protective zoning. To solicit preferences, I apply social science survey techniques at an early stage in the process. I synthesize the resulting preferences with physical data using a geographical information system. This comprehensive approach addresses some of the challenges of designing zoning for a cross-border, multi-jurisdictional MPA such as varying levels of information between countries, limited cooperation between managers and scientists, differing statutory regimes, and difficulties bringing stakeholders together to solicit their opinions. As a case study, I developed a zoning proposal for the Red Sea Marine Peace Park (RSMPP), a proposed MPA to be jointly managed by Jordan and Israel in the northern Gulf of Aqaba. r

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India, 2014

The issues tackled by many fisheries management interventions are practically the same, namely, a fisheries that is overcapitalized, increasing fishing effort, a resource base that is degraded due to destructive fishing practices, and resource users who are highly dependent on fisheries and its resource base. In response, fisheries managers have resorted to viable interventions that are deemed acceptable to government, resource users, and stakeholders. This paper highlights approaches and practices in the establishment of fisheries refugia in selected sites in the countries surrounding South China Sea, and the establishment of fisheries sanctuaries in the Philippines. It will also touch on the consolidating role of marine spatial planning, particularly of fisheries use zoning, in enhancing fisheries management. These practices are primarily based on experience during the implementation of the UNEP-GEF South China Sea (SCS) Project, USAID's Fisheries Improved for Sustainable Harvest (FISH) Project in the Philippines, and the various interventions by research institutions, non-government organizations, and fisherfolk organizations. These include establishment of fisheries refugia, marine protected areas and network of marine protected areas. These initiatives were further enhanced by consolidating them with various interventions through marine spatial planning, specifically through zoning of various fisheries and other marine water uses.

Conservation Biology, 2011

Social, economic, and ecological criteria contribute to the successful design, implementation, and management of marine protected areas (MPAs). In the context of California's Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, we developed a set of methods for collecting, compiling, and analyzing data about the spatial extent and relative economic importance of commercial and recreational fishing. We interviewed 174 commercial fishers who represented the major fisheries in the initiative's north-central coast region, which extends from Point Arena south to Pigeon Point. These fishers provided data that we used to map the extent of each of the fishing grounds, to weight the relative importance of areas within the grounds, to characterize the operating costs of each fishery, and to analyze the potential economic losses associated with proposed marine protected areas. A regional stakeholder group used the maps and impact analyses in conjunction with other data sets to iteratively identify economic and ecological trade-offs in designations of different areas as MPAs at regional, port, and fishery extents. Their final proposed MPA network designated 20% of state waters as MPAs. Potential net economic loss ranged from 1.7% to 14.2% in the first round of network design and totaled 6.3% in the final round of design. This process is a case study in the application of spatial analysis to validate and integrate local stakeholder knowledge in marine planning.

Marine Policy, 2019

An operational framework to assess the value of fisheries restricted areas (FRAs) for marine conservation was developed. Such a framework contributes to the wider concept of considering other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), as complementing conservation efforts and substantially contributing to effectively and equitably achieving Aichi biodiversity Target 11. A tailor-made multi-criteria decision analysis was designed and applied, for potential OECMs to be carefully assessed on a case-by-case basis and categorized according to their effectiveness in terms of contributing to marine biodiversity conservation. The official documentation and guidance provided by the IUCN were fully respected and made operational, providing a paradigm to managers and decision makers for assessing the contribution of FRAs to marine conservation under the OECM concept. The study also constitutes a review of the conservation status of the Aegean Sea and provides scientific documentation to the managers and decision makers in the area to address spatial conservation targets. By considering Natura 2000 sites as effective marine protected areas (MPAs), the Aichi Target 11 is attained (14.94%) at national level (i.e. within the Greek territorial waters). At ecoregional level (i.e. including international waters of the Aegean Sea) the target is not achieved (6.66%). It is proposed that, by adding all effective FRAs and a number of less effective FRAs, under the condition of increasing their effectiveness for conservation, to the network of MPAs in the area and designating them as OECMs, the conservation target can be attained also at ecoregional level.

1. Well-designed marine protected area (MPA) networks can deliver a range of ecological, economic and social benefits, and so a great deal of research has focused on developing spatial conservation prioritization tools to help identify important areas. 2. However, whilst these software tools are designed to identify MPA networks that both represent biodiversity and minimize impacts on stakeholders, they do not consider complex ecological processes. Thus, it is difficult to determine the impacts that proposed MPAs could have on marine ecosystem health, fisheries and fisheries sustainability. 3. Using the eastern English Channel as a case study, this paper explores an approach to address these issues by identifying a series of MPA networks using the Marxan and Marxan with Zones conservation planning software and linking them with a spatially explicit ecosystem model developed in Ecopath with Ecosim. We then use these to investigate potential trade-offs associated with adopting different MPA management strategies. 4. Limited-take MPAs, which restrict the use of some fishing gears, could have positive benefits for conservation and fisheries in the eastern English Channel, even though they generally receive far less attention in research on MPA network design. 5. Our findings, however, also clearly indicate that no-take MPAs should form an integral component of proposed MPA networks in the eastern English Channel, as they not only result in substantial increases in ecosystem biomass, fisheries catches and the biomass of commercially valuable target species, but are fundamental to maintaining the sustainability of the fisheries. 6. Synthesis and applications. Using the existing software tools Marxan with Zones and Ecopath with Ecosim in combination provides a powerful policy-screening approach. This could help inform marine spatial planning by identifying potential conflicts and by designing new regulations that better balance conservation objectives and stakeholder interests. In addition, it highlights that appropriate combinations of no-take and limited-take marine protected areas might be the most effective when making trade-offs between long-term ecological benefits and short-term political acceptability.

Coastal Management, 2002

An assumption underlying the growing support for marine protected areas (MPAs) is that they meet conservation goals and provide economic benefits to fisheries and ecotourism. However, support for MPAs will be at risk if managers cannot assess whether various MPA objectives are being fulfilled. Current approaches to MPA management emphasize the need to evaluate performance criteria; however, there is little consensus on criteria and their evaluation. We propose a marine protected area evaluation model (MPAEM), based on and modified from a multidisciplinary approach used to assess the sustainability of fisheries, called rapid appraisal of fisheries (Rapfish). The application of the MPAEM was explored in a pilot study of 20 MPAs located in different regions of the world. Results indicate that the MPAEM can be used to evaluate MPA management effectiveness. However, the manner in which the evaluation attributes are scored and ways of engaging user groups should be explored before MPAEM can become part of the day-today management of MPAs.

Frontiers in Marine Science

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are a tool to safeguard marine natural systems, yet their effectiveness depends on how well they are integrated into the existing socioeconomic context. Stakeholder engagement in MPA design can contribute to increasing integration. This study focuses on the co-design of an MPA between researchers, public administration, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations. The proposed MPA is in Portugal and includes an area that is a hotspot for biodiversity and economic activities. This is the first MPA proposal in mainland Portugal co-designed using a participatory approach. This study highlights the steps of the zoning process and synthesizes the eight main lessons learned, useful for other cases, particularly for relatively small coastal MPAs with multiple socioeconomic activities. Three zoning proposals were developed and discussed within the participatory process. The proposals considered the best scientific and local knowledge available and we...

PLoS ONE, 2013

Establishing different types of conservation zones is becoming commonplace. However, spatial prioritization methods that can accommodate multiple zones are poorly understood in theory and application. It is typically assumed that management regulations across zones have differential levels of effectiveness (''zone effectiveness'') for biodiversity protection, but the influence of zone effectiveness on achieving conservation targets has not yet been explored. Here, we consider the zone effectiveness of three zones: permanent closure, partial protection, and open, for planning for the protection of five different marine habitats in the Vatu-i-Ra Seascape, Fiji. We explore the impact of differential zone effectiveness on the location and costs of conservation priorities. We assume that permanent closure zones are fully effective at protecting all habitats, open zones do not contribute towards the conservation targets and partial protection zones lie between these two extremes. We use four different estimates for zone effectiveness and three different estimates for zone cost of the partial protection zone. To enhance the practical utility of the approach, we also explore how much of each traditional fishing ground can remain open for fishing while still achieving conservation targets. Our results show that all of the high priority areas for permanent closure zones would not be a high priority when the zone effectiveness of the partial protection zone is equal to that of permanent closure zones. When differential zone effectiveness and costs are considered, the resulting marine protected area network consequently increases in size, with more area allocated to permanent closure zones to meet conservation targets. By distributing the loss of fishing opportunity equitably among local communities, we find that 84-88% of each traditional fishing ground can be left open while still meeting conservation targets. Finally, we summarize the steps for developing marine zoning that accounts for zone effectiveness.

Coastal Management, 2006

Conserving marine ecosystems, while ensuring the livelihood needs of communities, is a challenge for protected area managers worldwide. Multiple-use zoning can help to balance human uses with conservation goals. Developing effective zoning plans requires information on the condition and uses of marine resources and the conflicts among them. Through interviews and participant observation, we investigated residents' reliance on nearshore fisheries in Ko Chang Marine National Park, a designated "no-take" area in eastern Thailand. Approximately 25% of households depended on fishing as their main source of income, with boat owners earning average net wages of 7-68 US$/day in small-scale fisheries. Apparently unaware of restrictions on resource use, small-scale fishers reported working in 95% of the park's marine waters. Understanding the needs and usage patterns of small-scale fishers will help to inform management and zoning plans for Ko Chang and provide a valuable example for other parks in the region.