Homo Nullius or `Where Have All the People Gone‘? Refiguring Marine Management and Conservation Approaches

Abstract

In Australia, much has been said and written about recent events which finally brought about the rejection of the Western legal concept of terra nullius. The legal recognition of native title in Australia and elsewhere, does not necessarily signify a corresponding and dramatic change in the social status and political position of indigenous peoples. This discontinuity between legal and social discourses is particularly evident when it comes to matters concerning conservation, resource management and sustainable development in a marine environment. All too often in these situations indigenous peoples are ignored and their concerns are dismissed as obstacles to development. They are, to all practical extents and purposes, homo nullius. Drawing upon a range of material from Indonesia and Australia, I argue that in order to understand the phenomenon of homo nullius it is instructive to examine the way we and others think, talk and write about such things as the sea, marine species and the indigenous peoples who possess and use these spaces and resources. In this connection, I focus upon two particular discourses which not only inform marine management and conservation approaches but which also have a tendency to create similar kinds of effects in terms of power, knowledge and agency.

Avoiding conflicts and protecting coral reefs: customary management benefits marine habitats and fish biomass

“…Customary marine resource management practices in the Indo-Pacific are often focused on social goals such as minimizing conflict among coastal communities, rather than western ideals of conservation or fisheries management (Polunin, 1984;Pannell, 1996;Aswani et al, 2007). Although the primary aim of the Panglima Laot is to minimise conflict among fishers, our findings indicate that controls on fishing gears indirectly yield conservation benefits including, healthier coral reefs that support a greater biomass of reef fish, including important trophic groups, such as herbivores that are essential for promoting reef resilience.…”

“…Customary management systems are frequently motivated by utilitarian social and economic goals, rather than any conservation ethic (Polunin, 1984;Pannell, 1996;Cinner & Aswani, 2007). The ability of customary systems to meet community needs such as providing fish for harvest, reducing conflict among resources users and improving yields can lead to higher levels of compliance, and ultimately better ecological outcomes than externally imposed biodiversity conservation (McClanahan et al, 2006a;Cinner & Aswani, 2007).…”

Nature and culture in a global context: A case study from World Heritage Listed Komodo National Park, eastern Indonesia

“…6 The activities of villagers within the Park are now restricted to miniscule areas of land and sea designated as part of the 'traditional use zone'. Technology permitted in this zone is restricted to 'traditional tools', while the use of these tools is 'licensed by the Head of Komodo National Park' (Pannell 1996) In this respect, the Plan reflects an earlier ecological assessment, which concluded that 'limited ecotourism and research' are the 'only true sustainable uses' of the terrestrial portions of the Park.…”

“…Reflecting The Nature Conservancy's preservationist view of nature as either valorised pristine areas or demonised expendable environments, the current plan thus separates the population of the Park into a near (if not already) extinct Indigenous minority and an endangering immigrant majority (see Pannell 1996).…”

Marine Protected Areas: Territorializing Objects and Subjectivities

“…In fact, the fishers for whom Nietschmann advocates have never been on the map, they are Homo nullius. This is not limited to this particular case, as it is common in many marine management decisions (Pannell, 1996). Human territories in the ocean, while a spatial practice, have been rendered invisible through the mapping of the sea as a blue field (Steinberg, 2001).…”