The Rahui: Legal pluralism in Polynesian traditional management of resources and territories

Bambridge, Tamatoa

doi:10.26530/oapen_607554

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 8 publications

(38 reference statements)

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“…The documentation of the seasonal reproductive cycle and lunar peaks in gonad development indicates the time of the year and month when this species is most vulnerable to overharvest and could benefit from the resurgence of the community's traditional form of spatiotemporal resource protections known as Rahui (Bambridge, ; Torrente, ). Given the prolonged spawning season, a partial closure of the trap fishery during the waning moon phase for a portion of the annual spawning season would ensure the escapement of a segment of the spawning stock, reduce mortality and improve the sustainability of the fishery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life‐history characteristics of an exploited bonefishAlbula glossodontapopulation in a remote South Pacific atoll

Filous

Lennox

Coleman

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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Bonefishes Albula spp. are important components of subsistence fisheries and lucrative sport fishing industries throughout their circumtropical distribution. In Oceania, however, Albula spp. have historically been overexploited and there is a growing need to balance the demands of competing fishing sectors, making the description of their life history a regional priority. To this aim, we collected biological samples from Albula spp. of Anaa atoll, French Polynesia, to identify the species that compose the stock and estimate their life‐history parameters including age, growth, reproduction and natural mortality. Our results indicate that Albula glossodonta is the species of bonefish present, with a maximum age that is below the, 20 year longevity of the genus (8 years in males and 10 years in females). Differential growth patterns existed between the two sexes (L∞ = 58, 78 cm fork length (LF) and K = 0.38, 0.21 for males and females, respectively). Males attained sexual maturity at 43 cm LF (c. 3 years) whereas females matured at 48 cm LF (c. 4 years) and oocyte production was significantly related to body mass, with a maximum batch fecundity of 1,133,767 oocytes in a 4406 g (70 cm LF) female. The gonado‐somatic index of harvested fishes indicated that the spawning season extends from March through September. Based on the observation of a, 20 year bonefish at the proximate Tetiaroa Atoll and several empirical models, estimates of natural mortality ranged from 0.21 to 0.68; however, an estimate of 0.21 was deemed most appropriate. This information facilitated the resurgence of a Rahui (temporary fishing closure) and community‐based management to protect A. glossodonta during a critical portion of their spawning season and in this context our results provide an important demographic baseline in evaluating the recovery of this fishery.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life‐history characteristics of an exploited bonefishAlbula glossodontapopulation in a remote South Pacific atoll

Filous

Lennox

Coleman

et al. 2019

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…Indigenous and local knowledge, skills, practices, values and beliefs, related to environmental and ecological states, and resource management, are dynamic, adaptive, and transmitted across and between generations (Bambridge, ; Berkes, ; Maffi, ). They are embedded within a worldview and ethos, and often include spiritual connections to place, including to specific species and landscapes.…”

Section: Local Perceptions Of Key Components Of Resilient Social–ecolmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing biocultural indicators for resource management

Dacks¹,

Ticktin²,

Mawyer

et al. 2019

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Resource management and conservation interventions are increasingly embracing social–ecological systems (SES) concepts. While SES frameworks recognize the connectedness of humans and nature, many fail to acknowledge the complex role of sociocultural factors in influencing people's interactions with the environment. As such, when indicators in SES frameworks are used to measure the social dimension, easy to measure, socioeconomic indicators are the norms, while more complex social and cultural indicators are rare. To develop meaningful indicators of resilience in SES we need to understand local definitions of resilience. In this paper we describe methods used in a biocultural approach to illuminate sociocultural factors that Pacific Islanders identify as important for resilient communities. We focus specifically on two dimensions of sociocultural factors, “Connectedness to People and Place” and “Indigenous and local knowledges, skills, practices, values and worldviews,” which relate to many interventions, but are not usually monitored. We offer examples of indicators that may be appropriate to measure under these dimensions. Increased use of biocultural indicators will bring additional insight on the types and combinations of indicators that work best in given contexts.

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“…Rahui is the traditional conservation method of Eastern Polynesia in which a community can chose to restrict the use of an area or resource that is in decline and provides a socially robust method of management. Rahui can include spatial closures, seasonal closures, size limits, or any other form of regulatory measure that is enacted to preserve a scarce resource (Bambridge ). To this aim, our results were presented to the community of Anaa Atoll by the local school and the government established an Educational Managed Marine Area (EMMA), which overlaps with the bonefish migratory corridor adjacent to Tukuhora village (https://www.radio1.pf/anaa-a-son-aire-marine-educative/).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Length‐Based Assessment of an Artisanal Albulid Fishery in the South Pacific: a Data‐Limited Approach for Management and Conservation

et al. 2019

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Data‐limited fisheries assessment methods have great potential to help inform small island communities on the status of their fisheries resources. In this paper, we provide a length‐based assessment of an artisanal fishery that primarily targets spawning aggregations of Shortjaw Bonefish Albula glossodonta at Anaa Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. We assessed the length‐frequency distribution of the spawning stock across a 3‐year period (2016–2018). During this time, male and female Shortjaw Bonefish were fully recruited to the fishery at age 4 and age 5, respectively. Fishing mortality was over two times the range of natural mortality for this species (i.e., 0.21–0.32), and based on these estimates of natural mortality, the annual spawning potential ratio of the population was between 7% and 20% across the sampling years. The majority of the catch was sexually mature, with 78, 95, and 95% of the annual female catch in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively, being equal to or greater than the length of first maturity (i.e., 48 cm FL). However, every fisheries indicator and biological reference point suggested that the fishery was overexploited and in need of management intervention. To this aim, the community of Anaa (1) established an Educational Managed Marine Area, which overlaps with the Shortjaw Bonefish migratory corridor adjacent to Tukuhora village and (2) instated a temporal rahui (a traditional conservation method) inside the Educational Managed Marine Area during the peak months of the spawning season.

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The Rahui: Legal pluralism in Polynesian traditional management of resources and territories

Cited by 24 publications

References 8 publications

Life‐history characteristics of an exploited bonefishAlbula glossodontapopulation in a remote South Pacific atoll

Life‐history characteristics of an exploited bonefishAlbula glossodontapopulation in a remote South Pacific atoll

Developing biocultural indicators for resource management

Length‐Based Assessment of an Artisanal Albulid Fishery in the South Pacific: a Data‐Limited Approach for Management and Conservation

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