Natural Resources Management Program, Gret Professionals for Fair Development, Soavimbahoaka, Madagascar.
Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
PLoS One. 2021 Nov 15;16(11):e0259792. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259792. eCollection 2021.
Local support is critical to the success and longevity of fishery management initiatives. Previous research suggests that how resource users perceive ecological changes, explain them, and cope with them, influences local support. The objectives of this study were two-fold. First, we collated local fishers' knowledge to characterize the long-term socio-ecological dynamics of the small-scale fishery of Sainte-Marie Island, in Madagascar. Second, we empirically assessed the individual- and site-level factors influencing support for fishery restrictions. Our results indicate that fishers observed a decline in fish abundance and catch sizes, especially in nearshore areas; many also perceived a reduction in fish sizes and the local disappearance of species. To maintain their catches, most fishers adapted by fishing harder and further offshore. Accordingly, fishers identified increased fishing effort (number of fishers and gear evolution) as the main cause of fishery changes. Collectively, our results highlight that the transition from a subsistence to commercial fishery, and resulting changes in the relationship between people and the fisheries, was an underlying driver of fishery changes. Additionally, we found that gender, membership to local associations, coping mechanisms, and perceptions of ecological health, were all interlinked and significantly associated with conservation-oriented attitudes. Conservation-oriented attitudes, however, were not associated with fishers' willingness to decrease fishing. In the short-term, area-based restrictions could contribute to building support for conservation. In the long-term, addressing the underlying causes of the decline will necessitate collaborations among the various groups involved to progressively build livelihood flexibility. Collectively, our study provides additional insights on the individual- and site-level factors influencing support for fishery restrictions. It also highlights the importance of dialoguing with fishers to ensure that fishery management plans are adapted to the local context.
当地支持对于渔业管理举措的成功和持久至关重要。先前的研究表明，资源使用者如何感知生态变化、解释这些变化以及应对这些变化，会影响当地的支持。本研究的目的有两个。首先，我们整理了当地渔民的知识，以描述马达加斯加圣玛丽岛小规模渔业的长期社会生态动态。其次，我们实证评估了影响渔业限制支持的个体和地点层面的因素。我们的研究结果表明，渔民观察到鱼类数量和捕获量减少，尤其是在近岸地区；许多渔民还发现鱼类体型减小和当地物种消失。为了保持渔获量，大多数渔民通过加大捕捞力度和在更远的近海捕捞来适应。因此，渔民将增加捕捞努力（渔民人数和渔具的演变）确定为渔业变化的主要原因。总的来说，我们的研究结果强调了从生计渔业向商业渔业的过渡，以及人与渔业之间关系的变化，是渔业变化的一个潜在驱动因素。此外，我们发现，性别、是否加入地方协会、应对机制以及对生态健康的看法，这些因素相互关联，与以保护为导向的态度显著相关。然而，以保护为导向的态度并不与渔民减少捕捞的意愿相关。在短期内，基于区域的限制措施可以有助于建立对保护的支持。从长远来看，解决下降的根本原因需要涉及各个相关群体之间的合作，以逐步建立生计的灵活性。总的来说，我们的研究为影响渔业限制支持的个体和地点层面的因素提供了更多的见解。它还强调了与渔民进行对话的重要性，以确保渔业管理计划适应当地情况。
