Ecosystem management: Evaluating the impact of Marine Protected Areas on local communities in Kia, Fiji. A case study
More than one billion people, mostly from developing countries, rely on fish as their primary source of income and protein. With fishing pressure increasing rapidly, fish stocks across the world are fast declining. The consequences are already visible; nearly two-thirds of the global fish stocks hav...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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2016
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| Online Access: | https://kar.kent.ac.uk/54206/ https://kar.kent.ac.uk/54206/1/74Thesis.pdf https://kar.kent.ac.uk/54206/2/74Appendix%20II.pdf |
| Summary: | More than one billion people, mostly from developing countries, rely on fish as their primary source of income and protein. With fishing pressure increasing rapidly, fish stocks across the world are fast declining. The consequences are already visible; nearly two-thirds of the global fish stocks have been overexploited, leaving disruption to food webs and marine ecosystems, and declining income for fishermen dependent on fisheries for their livelihoods. With predictions of further decline in fish stocks in the near future, it is crucial to reinforce marine environment protection. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been recognized as an effective management tool to protect fish populations, showing benefits beyond areas delimited by the MPA, thus adding further valuable support to local fisheries. The presence of MPAs is particularly important in areas with coral reef systems. With more than 30% of the world’s coral reefs negatively affected by ocean acidification, combined with the broader effect of global climate change and overfishing, resulting predictions indicate that 60% of the world’s reefs will be lost by 2030. MPAs are regarded as a useful tool in mitigating these impacts. With the prominent role MPAs play in marine conservation, monitoring and evaluating their status is necessary to ensure that marine management measures are effective and efficient. This research explores the role of an MPA established in the vicinity of Kia Island, a remote island off the North coast of Vanua Levu, Fiji, and enveloped by the world’s third longest continuous barrier reef system. Semi- structured interviews and focus groups were conducted in the 3 villages of Daku, Ligau, and Yaro, in order to investigate stakeholders’ perceptions on ecological, financial, and social changes occurring after the establishment of the MPA. Participants observed that since its establishment, the marine environment appears to be healthier inside and outside the MPA. Fish species, previously absent from the area have been observed, fish ... |
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