No-take zones disrupt local communities

As the oceans become increasingly degraded by human activities, no-take zones have been established to conserve marine ecosystems, rebuild fish stocks and protect marine biodiversity. While such reserves have proven effective in this regard, they have had negative impacts on coastal communities and indigenous peoples who depend on resource extraction from these areas, leading to their impoverishment and loss of livelihoods.

Nº 124

1) Asia, Philippines and Indonesia

2) North America, Canada, British Columbia

  • N/D
  • Conservation of Fish Stock
  • Establishing No-Take Zones
some attempts made
past case
Region-1
Region-2
Region-3
Region-4
ongoing case
no attempts made

None

No-take zones disrupt local communities

As the oceans become increasingly degraded by human activities, no-take zones have been established to conserve marine ecosystems, rebuild fish stocks and protect marine biodiversity. While such reserves have proven effective in this regard, they have had negative impacts on coastal communities and indigenous peoples who depend on resource extraction from these areas, leading to their impoverishment and loss of livelihoods.

1) Marine protected areas in the Philippines and Indonesia have been “biological successes and social failures” (Christie, 2004). On San Salvador Island, for example, the establishment of a MPA has exacerbated conflict between key community leaders, potentially threatening the community-based management system.

2) Strict no-take marine reserves may affect the livelihoods of Canada’s First Nations. Consultation with these groups and an approach based on their preferences is suggested.

  • Frustrated the efforts to address the initial problem
  • Cascading (far-reaching effects following each other)

1) Christie, P. (2004). Marine Protected Areas as biological successes and social failures in Southeast Asia. American Fisheries Society Symposium. 42. 155-164. 

2) Ban, N. C., C. Picard, and A. C. J. Vincent. (2008). Moving toward spatial solutions in marine conservation with indigenous communities. Ecology and Society 13(1): 32.

Sala, E., & Giakoumi, S. (2018). No-take marine reserves are the most effective protected areas in the ocean. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 75(3), 1166-1168. https://academic.oup.com/icesjms/article/75/3/1166/4098821

Bennett, N. J., & Dearden, P. (2014). Why local people do not support conservation: Community perceptions of marine protected area livelihood impacts, governance and management in Thailand. Marine policy, 44, 107-116. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2013.08.017

Christie, P. (2004, January). Marine protected areas as biological successes and social failures in Southeast Asia. In American fisheries society symposium (Vol. 42, No. 155-164). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Patrick-Christie/publication/228804569_Marine_Protected_Areas_as_biological_successes_and_social_failures_in_Southeast_Asia/links/5cffca9a299bf13a384d664f/Marine-Protected-Areas-as-biological-successes-and-social-failures-in-Southeast-Asia.pdf

Vacanti Brondo, K., & Woods, L. (2007). Garifuna land rights and ecotourism as economic development in Honduras’ Cayos Cochinos marine protected area. Ecological and Environmental Anthropology (University of Georgia), 22. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/icwdmeea/22?utm_source=digitalcommons.unl.edu%2Ficwdmeea%2F22&utm_medium=PDF&utm_campaign=PDFCoverPages

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