Defining and bridging the barriers to more effective conservation of island ecosystems: A practitioner's perspective

Abstract

The failure to meet global biodiversity targets clearly indicates the need for biodiversity management and conservation efforts to be more effective, and this in turn requires better understanding of the current barriers to success. Islands are known as biodiversity hotspots but nowhere has biodiversity loss been so acute as in island ecosystems. To identify the barriers to effective island ecosystem conservation, we conducted 32 semistructured interviews with conservation and management practitioners from island nations in the Western Indian Ocean region. Practitioners described 33 barriers to meeting their objectives under 12 overarching topics and suggested 14 solutions to these. Most barriers described by interviewees existed at organization level (55%), followed by national (24%) and site/project level (21%). Of the 33 barriers described by practitioners, the most commonly associated cause was limited capacity (23.5%), followed by lack of government coordination and limited resources (both 21.6%), lack of incentives (11.8%), poor leadership (11.7%), and finally interpersonal issues interfering with progress (9.8%). Most solutions centered around bridging capacity gaps. By defining these barriers, we can bring them forward for discussion and allocate resources and efforts to bridging them. Only by doing so can we increase the effectiveness of our management efforts and maximize our chances of achieving global biodiversity targets.

Proposed solutions for marine debris in the Windward Islands- perspectives from key policy makers and policy influencers

“…SIDS are often characterized by their lack of human resource capacity, serious financial and resource limitations, lack of management and adaptive capacities and economic vulnerability (Hadjimanolis, 1999;Kirton, 2013;Nurse et al, 2014;Field et al, 2014;Burt et al, 2022). Moreover, SIDS tend to encapsulate several other global sustainable development challenges (Connell, 2013;Kelman et al, 2015).…”

An international assessment of the barriers influencing the effectiveness of island ecosystem management

“…To identify which barriers practitioners face in achieving effective management, various interviews and surveys of frontline staff have been conducted (e.g. Bottrill et al, 2011; Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sanders et al, 2019). The practitioners in these studies described barriers operating at different levels of management, but with some clear and consistent themes.…”

“…The practitioners in these studies described barriers operating at different levels of management, but with some clear and consistent themes. At site/project level these include skill gaps in data management and analysis, poor monitoring or research design and inadequate staffing or roles to achieve objectives (Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Lindenmayer et al, 2013). At organisation level they include staffing and resource limitations and limited collaboration and communication between practitioners and organisations/institutions (Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sanders et al, 2019).…”

“…At site/project level these include skill gaps in data management and analysis, poor monitoring or research design and inadequate staffing or roles to achieve objectives (Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Lindenmayer et al, 2013). At organisation level they include staffing and resource limitations and limited collaboration and communication between practitioners and organisations/institutions (Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sanders et al, 2019). More broadly, at the national level, practitioners have described barriers caused by poor education, governance issues, institutional capacity and limited coordination of efforts (Bottrill et al, 2011; Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sutherland & Wordley, 2017).…”

“…At organisation level they include staffing and resource limitations and limited collaboration and communication between practitioners and organisations/institutions (Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sanders et al, 2019). More broadly, at the national level, practitioners have described barriers caused by poor education, governance issues, institutional capacity and limited coordination of efforts (Bottrill et al, 2011; Burt et al, 2021; Forster et al, 2011; Sutherland & Wordley, 2017). While these surveys have helped to define what barriers exist and highlight the need to bridge them, their focus on single geographic regions hinders our ability to identify patterns and draw recommendations at wider scales.…”