Combining Natural History Collections with Fisher Knowledge for Community-Based Conservation in Fiji

Abstract

Harnessing the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local communities has the potential to enhance conservation planning in developing regions. Marine protected areas (MPAs) that incorporate traditional beliefs about reef tenure are generally more successful in reaching conservation goals and ensuring the participation of local fishermen on vulnerable tropical reef systems. Fiji possesses a unique system of traditional reef management in which local clans or villages, called mataqali, control individual units of a reef, known as qoliqoli, and make independent management decisions based on traditional beliefs and conservation concerns. This is an example of a system, known as customary marine tenure, which has attracted interest from conservation scientists hoping to set up MPAs in vulnerable regions. As one example of this grassroots participation, Nagigi village on the Fijian island of Vanua Levu has expressed interest in setting up an MPA in part of its qoliqoli because of concerns about overfishing. In response to this interest, we took a two-pronged approach to assessing Nagigi's fishery status and conservation needs, first conducting a fishery-independent species survey using destructive sampling and then focusing on fisheries targets identified through fisher interviews. These interviews allowed us to identify heavily targeted species, assess villagers' understanding of reef dynamics over 30 or 40 years of fisheries expansion, and evaluate village support and expectations for a proposed conservation program. Based on our findings we recommend a temporary closure to be in effect for at least three years, allowing one of the more important fishery targets, Lethrinus harak (Forsskål, 1775; Lethrinidae), to complete at least one generation within the reserve. The methodology of matching the proposed marine protected area with the life histories and ecologies of heavily targeted species identified through fisherman and -woman interviews can offer a template for future conservation projects that seek to synthesize indigenous peoples' needs and knowledge with ecological data.

A multilevel evolutionary framework for sustainability analysis

“…At the individual level, we make the simplifying assumption that foragers minimize effort to meet subsistence needs. This is consistent with what present-day Fijians report (Golden et al 2014). At the village chiefdom level, each village has exclusive marine foraging rights to bounded territories, so could benefit from sustainable harvesting.…”

“…At the individual level, many contemporary Fijians forage for subsistence, but also exchange resources for cash. Individuals can accumulate wealth in this manner, even harvesting species that are not eaten locally (Golden et al 2014;M. A. Kline, unpublished data).…”

Fisheries and Tourism: Social, Economic, and Ecological Trade-offs in Coral Reef Systems

“…Various global and local stressors threaten coral reefs, from global warming-induced heat stress to tourismand fisheries-induced ecological stresses. The result of overuse and overexploitation by either of these industries can be disastrous for the reef ecosystem (Hodgson and Dixon 1988;Hawkins and Roberts 1994;Cesar et al 2003;Fenner 2012;Jackson et al 2014;Gil et al 2015). While both industries present economic opportunities necessary for coastal communities in the vicinity of coral reefs (Cesar et al 2003), they often compete for the same operational spaces (Fabinyi 2008).…”

Dark Side of Development: Modernity, Disaster Risk and Sustainable Livelihoods in Two Coastal Communities in Fiji

“…It is a region exposed to an unprecedented range of natural hazards and is among the most vulnerable to climate change [88]. Thousands of years of social learning to reduce disaster risk is being lost in one or two generations [89][90][91][92] as modernity sweeps in under the guise of development. It is therefore of utmost importance to transform these development patterns that exacerbate and unfairly distribute disaster risk.…”

“…There is a range of ways to facilitate this transformation, several of which are included in this special edition. However, in the context of the South Pacific, the key is to safeguard and integrate traditional institutions, strategies, and knowledge that reduce disaster risk, as has been suggested earlier [91][92][93][94], without falling prey to romanticism that may blind us to the downsides of traditional South Pacific societies, such as high levels of gender inequality [95] and domestic violence [96].…”