Epistemic justice and the integration of local ecological knowledge for marine conservation: Lessons from the Seychelles

Baker, Susan; Constant, Natasha

doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103921

Cited by 27 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…However, the representation of all stakeholder sectors is rarely achieved during consultation processes, particularly when the sector is heterogeneous (Teixeira et al, 2018). Additionally, gathering local knowledge requires trust between data gatherers and fishing communities, and this relationship needs to be ensured to obtain an accurate depiction of fishing activity in a region (Baker & Constant, 2020). Finally, some studies have shown that there can be a large mismatch between fisheries value recorded in the field (e.g., using at‐port surveys) and as perceived by the fishers (recorded using interviews and participatory mapping), therefore, caution needs to be exercised when interpreting fishing activity maps from qualitative methods (Hamel et al, 2018; Turner et al, 2015; but see Mason et al, 2019).…”

Section: Types Of Fisheries Sources Of Data and Metrics Usedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a better use of fisheries data in spatial planning

2022

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In the search for protecting biodiversity, enhancing sustainable resource use, and minimizing conflict among users, spatial planning is now ubiquitous around the globe.Acquiring maps of fishing activity is critical to account for the interests of fishers, but fisheries are generally underrepresented in spatial plans. We conducted a quantitative systematic literature review on how fisheries data have been included in spatial planning. 145 research articles were reviewed. Most studies (99%) assessed marine ecosystems. A kaleidoscope of data sources has been used to map fisheries, from vessel tracking data (11%) to surrogates (17%). Most articles (43%) have focused on mapping fishing effort, but other variables might be more relevant for spatial planning. Stakeholder groups are generally aggregated together (84%), but to achieve socially equitable outcomes, differences in relative importance or vulnerability should be included in the analyses. There ought to be a shift in spatial and temporal scale so that the scale in which fishing activity is recorded matches the scales needed for relevant management. At the planning stage, fishing data have been incorporated mostly to avoid conflict (97%). However, when stocks are overfished, ensuring some areas remain open to fishing and including fisheries in alternative ways to "cost" (which incorporates the economic and social impact of spatial closures) might be necessary.The use of inappropriate fisheries data has produced spatial plans that lead to poor management decisions, social conflict, and lack of compliance. Based on these results, we offer a set of suggestions on how to develop fisheries spatial planning research that will promote environmental and social sustainability.

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Section: Types Of Fisheries Sources Of Data and Metrics Usedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Toward a better use of fisheries data in spatial planning

2022

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“…Taking it a step further, INGOs may utilize their public relations departments to recast conservation human rights abuses in a positive light, actively shaping an image of trustworthiness (Domínguez & Luoma, 2020). The use (or abuse) of discursive power by institutions to produce favorable narratives and appear trustworthy renders marginalized voices unintelligible, unheard, and unrecognized by a wider public (To & Dressler, 2019; Baker & Constant, 2020), reducing their political space for representing their concerns (Fraser, 2008). Recognizing the heterogeneity of local communities, power differences, such as along lines of caste, gender, and class, can also determine who is perceived as trustworthy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Epistemic injustices, which occur when traditional and Indigenous knowledges and their custodians are disregarded, illustrate how misrepresentation and misrecognition drives distrust. In a study with a conservation NGO and artisanal fishers in the Seychelles, where the former engaged the latter in a citizen science project, the scientists were unwilling to include the fishers until scientific tests verified that local knowledge could accurately provide the fish population data needed (Baker & Constant, 2020). Doubting the trustworthiness of their knowledge emerged from structurally formed dispositions in what counts as science and expertise.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Making a case for the consideration of trust, justice, and power in conservation relationships

Saif

Keane

Staddon

2022

Conservation Biology

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In conservation, trust and justice are increasingly recognized as both intrinsically valuable and critical for successful socioecological outcomes. However, the interdependence between these concepts has not been explored. The conservation trust literature provides examples of efforts to build trust between conservationists and local actors; yet, these interventions are often conceived to incentivize local cooperation within dominant paradigms. We argue that when trust building is promoted as a technical fix that does not plan in advance to address power asymmetries in conservation practice, inequities may inadvertently be re‐embedded. Therefore, we conceptualized a framework that joins trust, justice, and power so that critical analyses of conservation partnerships can be more effectively undertaken. We drew on environmental justice theory to better calibrate the trust literature for the historical‐political settings of conservation, especially in the Global South. Justice and trust share strong theoretical links where perceptions of justice shape a willingness to trust, and, equally, trust is a precondition for justice to be perceived. Different forms of trust connect to varied domains of justice and power in different ways, which mediates the outcomes of interventions. We applied our framework to case studies to explore how these interdependences play out in practice. Failure of agencies to attend to issues of maldistribution, misrecognition of cultural values and knowledge, and exclusion from participation strongly compromised trust. Moreover, the ways in which nature‐dependent communities and marginalized conservation workers are trusted, or the conditions under which they give trust, can lead to partnerships being perceived as just or unjust. Focusing on trust and justice can help identify power dynamics so they can be addressed more readily and create space for alternative understandings of partnerships.

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“…However, data collection, even though systematic, tends to be circumscribed in time and space, particularly in remote areas such as the Arctic, where financial, human capacity, and logistical barriers are obstacles to cyclical long-term monitoring (Lubin and Massom, 2006;Kutz and Tomaselli, 2019). In combination, scientific and Indigenous or local knowledge may yield a result that circumvents some of the constraints, limitations, and biases inherent within each knowledge system (Brook et al, 2009;Tomasini, 2018;Kutz and Tomaselli, 2019;Peacock et al, 2020) with the potential to arrive at a much richer and deeper understanding of ecological systems (Sefa Dei et al, 2000;Robinson and Wallington, 2012;Kutz and Tomaselli, 2019;Baker and Constant, 2020). More specifically for IK, approaches that include the consideration of IK are responsive to mandates set out by land claims agreements (e.g., INAC, 1984INAC, , 1993 and calls for Indigenous sovereignty in research (Schnarch, 2004;ITK and NRI, 2006;ITK, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Documenting Indigenous Knowledge to Identify and Understand the Stressors of Muskoxen (<i>Ovibos moschatu</i>s) in Nunavut, Canada

Francesco¹,

Hanke²,

Milton³

et al. 2022

ARCTIC

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Indigenous knowledge provides valuable information on wildlife health and ecology, contributing to a broader understanding of the patterns and phenomena observed. Muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus), an important species for the subsistence and culture of Inuit communities in the Arctic, are increasingly exposed to diverse stressors linked to rapid climate change and other anthropogenic changes. Identifying and understanding these stressors and their impacts on muskoxen will inform management, health monitoring, and future research. To achieve this understanding, we documented Indigenous knowledge through seven semi-structured small group interviews, each involving two to three purposely chosen muskox harvesters in Kugluktuk, Nunavut, Canada to (1) establish the characteristics of healthy muskoxen, (2) determine the factors considered to impact muskoxen, and (3) understand, from an Indigenous knowledge perspective, the results from a study on the sex, seasonal, and annual patterns of glucocorticoids (described as “stress hormones” for the purposes of the interviews) in muskox hair. Key outcomes include (1) a more holistic understanding of muskox health and what it encompasses, (2) recognition and exploration of a rich One Health perspective expressed by participants around factors influencing muskoxen in a changing world and highlighting the multiple socioecological connections, and (3) a broader comprehension of the glucocorticoid (stress) patterns measured in muskox hair, the various factors that influence them, and their interrelations. This study represents a meaningful advancement in the process of actively involving communities at all steps of the research and highlights the important contributions Indigenous knowledge can offer to the complex field of wildlife endocrinology research.

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Epistemic justice and the integration of local ecological knowledge for marine conservation: Lessons from the Seychelles

Cited by 27 publications

References 55 publications

Toward a better use of fisheries data in spatial planning

Toward a better use of fisheries data in spatial planning

Making a case for the consideration of trust, justice, and power in conservation relationships

Documenting Indigenous Knowledge to Identify and Understand the Stressors of Muskoxen (<i>Ovibos moschatu</i>s) in Nunavut, Canada

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