The social and political economy of coastal zone management: Shrimp mariculture in Ecuador

Abstract

The paper examines the applicability of First World CZM policy for the Third World by focusing on Ecuador's shrimp mariculture, an industry whose explosive growth has reshaped the coastal zone and generated problems threatening loss of the resource base itself. This has led to recognized need for CZM and movement by development agencies to transfer the CZ policies of developed countries. Against this background, the analysis explores local concepts of investment and conservation, the role of government and law, and the influence of the social economy on mariculture development. It illuminates how local use and management of coastal resources is inseparable from specifically Ecuadorean cultural concepts, institutions, and practices. This places in relief the salient differences between management in the First and Third Worlds, illuminating how coastal zone management must not only be internally consistent, but cognizant of and integrated into the prevailing social, economic, and political conditions.     

Marine Biodiversity and Institutional Interplay

The interplay between the biodiversity regime and fisheries management and conservation regimes is not a critically important phenomenon at this point in time. For now, the institutions most relevant for the management of marine and coastal biodiversity are entrenched in conventional fisheries management structures. Biodiversity-oriented institutions appear to be less in touch with the practical aspects of resource management. The most significant interplay occurs at the global level, where several oceans-related regimes appear to be affected by the concerns raised by the CBD. The important question with regard to the longer term, is what impact the creation and operation of the CBD will have on various fisheries regimes in the future.     

The Institute for Marine Studies,University of Washington

The University of Washington recently (1981) established a College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences which incorporates extant programmes in oceanography, fisheries and other marine resource fields. The Institute for Marine Studies (IMS), organized in 1972 and presently directed by Professor Warren Wooster, is one component of the new college. IMS, a multidisciplinary academic and research unit, focuses on the management and policy issues arising from the many different uses of marine and coastal resources.     

The Institute for Marine Studies, University of Washington

The University of Washington recently (1981) established a College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences which incorporates extant programmes in oceanography, fisheries and other marine resource fields. The Institute for Marine Studies (IMS), organized in 1972 and presently directed by Professor Warren Wooster, is one component of the new college. IMS, a multidisciplinary academic and research unit, focuses on the management and policy issues arising from the many different uses of marine and coastal resources.     

Detecting and Managing Coastal Fisheries and Aquaculture Gear Using Satellite Radar Imagery

Fishing and shellfish aquaculture are important sources of income for coastal communities in Thailand and other parts of tropical Asia, but environmental impacts associated with these small-scale activities can effect water quality, nearshore habitats, and fish populations. The management of coastal fisheries and aquaculture has, therefore, become a major concern for government fisheries officials who are searching for cost effective measures to improve the regulation of these sectors. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images from the RADARSAT-1 satellite were acquired to determine if stationary fishing and aquaculture gears within a coastal study site in the Upper Gulf of Thailand could be identified, and if automatic signature separation of gear types was possible. The use of SAR imagery for a coastal monitoring application was also evaluated and the potential of this technology to improve resource management outcomes considered.     

Integrated Coastal Management in the Philippines: Testing New Paradigms

With fisheries declining, coral reefs battered, mangrove forests under threat, pollution levels rising, and coastal communities experiencing increased poverty, the Philippines faces severe challenges in managing its coastal resources. Coastal management efforts began in the Philippines more than 20 years ago through various community-based projects. Now, integrated coastal management is expanding in the country and holds the potential to reverse the trends. This article analyzes the situation in relation to new approaches for coastal management being undertaken through the Coastal Resource Management Project supported by the United States Agency for International Development implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. This project, drawing on the lessons generated by past and ongoing coastal management initiatives, is emphasizing integrated approaches to management over narrowly focused fisheries management and habitat protection efforts. It highlights the increasingly important role of local governments and the changing roles of national government to effectively support integrated coastal management. Multisectoral collaboration is explained as standard procedure to achieve outcomes that are broad based and sustainable. Local and national level activities are contrasted and shown as essential complements in building institutionalization of resources management within all levels of government. A practical result framework is explained for measuring relative success at the local government level of implementing best practices for coastal management. Finally, lessons being learned related to collaboration, level of focus, education, and communication; who is responsible; and expansion of the project are highlighted.     

The Origins and Early Implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act, enacted in 1974, is the primary federal fishery management legislation in the United States. The political impetus that led to enactment was the extensive foreign fish off U.S. shores that expanded following World War II and the failure of international negotiations to prevent the decline in many fisheries relied upon by domestic fishers. In Congress, there was uncertainty as to whether a comprehensive management program would be created along with a unilateral extension of fishery management jurisdiction out to 200 nautical miles. The delay in agreement over a new United Nations Law of the Sea Treaty and resolution of the extent of coastal nation jurisdiction over fisheries culminated in enactment of the legislation sponsored by Senator Warren Magnuson, a Democrat from Washington State, and Senator Ted Stevens, a Republican from the State of Alaska.     

Transaction Costs of Community-Based Coastal Resource Management: The Case of San Miguel Bay,Philippines

This study estimates and analyzes the transaction costs (TC) associated with the implementation of a multilevel and multistakeholder program such as a community-based coastal resource management program. Results show that TC accounted for 37% of the total project cost (TPC). The instability of financial support resulted in high TC, which was estimated to be 86% of the TPC during the implementation phase of the coastal resource management projects. The share of the total TC was highest among the people's organizations (POs) that were the beneficiaries of the program. The number of people involved in the transactions, the number of activities undertaken, and the success index of the POs were among the factors significantly affecting the TC. Analysis also shows that while higher TC led to higher success index of the POs at the initial stage of the project implementation, an increasing level of TC eventually slowed down their performance.     

Governance for Sustainability: Insights from Marine Resource Use in a Tropical Setting in the Western Indian Ocean

The last decade has seen a shift in the Natural Resource Management discourse, a shift from management to governance. Governance is held forward as a prime solution to problems associated with the sustainability of natural resources, including fisheries and other marine resources. Several countries in the Western Indian Ocean are framing governance solutions as a response to coastal/marine resource depletion and environmental degradation, but the challenges are huge and success stories remain few. This study provides an analysis of the governance situation in Chwaka Bay, Zanzibar, Tanzania. It presents the governance actors and how governance is expressed in terms of hierarchy (state), heterarchy (self-organized networks of resource users), and anarchy (market). The analysis illustrates the extreme difficulties of using governance approaches to steer human behavior to solve environmental problems and achieve sustainability. The study also provides some insights when considering the use of governance as a tool for the “designing” and/or “steering” social–ecological systems in subsistence contexts with weak formal institutions. These include the consideration of governance as an intrinsic part of complex societal processes, the idealization of governance as a template for redressing management failure and broader issues such as the importance of meta-governance.     

The Decline of the Artisanal Fisheries in Mediterranean Coastal Areas: The Case of Cap de Creus (Cape Creus)

This article examines the sociocultural, economic, and environmental causes of the decline of the artisanal fisheries in the rocky coast of Cape Creus (NW Mediterranean) over the past decades. The changes that have occurred over time have favored trawlers, purse-seiners, shellfish fisheries, and tourism activities, to the detriment of artisanal fisheries. This article shows that the establishment of a marine reserve in 1998 could not reverse the observed decline in the artisanal fisheries. This raises the necessity of implementing a fishery management plan integrated into a coastal management plan, which should accompany the habitat protection. These plans could assist in the maintenance and the sustainable development of the artisanal fishing sector in Cape Creus as well as in other Mediterranean coastal areas where artisanal fisheries are also declining.     

Application of a Sustainable Fisheries Development Indicator System (SFDIS) for Better Management Outcomes in Taiwan Offshore and Coastal Fishery

A sustainable fisheries development indicator system (SFDIS) is proposed in this article to monitor management of Taiwan's offshore and coastal fisheries. Demonstration of its application shows that the ecological index is tending toward sustainability but to conserve fisheries’ resources it is necessary to strengthen habitat protection and management through a partnership approach. The economic index is tending toward unsustainability as a result of a decline in fisheries’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP), value, economic production, and investment. An aging fisherman population and decreasing social performance and resilience contribute to unsustainability of the social index. By contrast, the institutional index is sustainable because of improved management efficiency, ability, and capacity-building. However, some problems exist with regard to compliance and acceptability of institutional expense. Overall, the SFDIS suggests that an increase in employee number, incorrect statistical data, and unacceptable institutional expense will make Taiwan's offshore and coastal fisheries unsustainable in the long run.     

Integrated Coastal Management in Philippine Local Governance: Evolution and Benefits

In 1991 the Philippine government shifted many coastal management responsibilities to local governments and fostered increased local participation in the management of coastal resources. In their delivery of integrated coastal management (ICM) as a basic service, many local governments have achieved increasing public awareness of coastal resource management (CRM) issues. Continuing challenges are financial sustainability, inadequate capacities, weak law enforcement, and lack of integrated and collaborative efforts. To address these challenges, a CRM certification system was developed to improve strategies and promote incentives for local governments to support ICM. This system is being applied by an increasing number of local governments to guide the development and implementation of ICM in their jurisdiction. The CRM benchmarks required for a local government to achieve the first level of certification are: budget allocated, CRM related organizations formed and active, CRM plan developed and adopted, shoreline management initiated and two or more best practices implemented. Implementation is providing tangible benefits to communities through enhanced fisheries production associated with MPAs, revenues from user fees and enhanced community pride through learning exchanges and involvement in decisions, among others.     

Cooperative tourism and the coastal zone

Abstract

Most tourist development takes place in the coastal zone. Concentrated tourist use continues in spite of opposition by groups who feel that any tourism, especially international, threatens both the natural environment and local values. Although shorelines and “coastscapes”; belong to all, decisions regarding them are made by relatively few. The number of community organizations involved in coastal zone management decisions varies from almost none in some Third World countries to dozens in places like Hawaii or California. Constructive use of coastal zones requires an understanding of the interactions between biophysical and social systems. Planning tourism in this context requires that all groups with an interest in the coastal zone join in a new “cooperative tourism”; in which all contribute to decisions and face ultimate responsibilities.     

Fisheries in Iwaki after the Fukushima Dai'ichi Nuclear Accident: Lessons for Coastal Management under Conditions of High Uncertainty?

This article evaluates factors driving perception of risk and uncertainty in fisheries in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, following the Fukushima Dai'ichi nuclear accident. Particular attention is paid to lessons that may be learned for managing uncertainties and risks in coastal management more generally. The 2011 accident has had profound effects on Fukushima fisheries. Commercial coastal fisheries have been stopped since, and efforts to understand and monitor the effects of marine radioactive contamination on produce from the sea continue. Small-scale trial fisheries have, however, re-commenced with a view to gradually re-starting Fukushima fisheries over time. Drawing on in-depth interviews, discussion groups, and field observations from Iwaki and Fukushima Prefecture more widely, three factors are discussed: the role of trusted local-level points of contact; the value of transparent monitoring and screening that acknowledges remaining limitations and uncertainties; and the importance of taking seriously the cultural dimensions of rapid and potentially irreversible environmental change.     

Israel's coastal program: Resource protection through management of land use

Abstract

Presently, much of Israel's 190‐kilometer‐long Mediterranean coast is either unoccupied, devoted to unsuitable uses, or is in use by activities which have no special need to be near the water's edge. This has resulted from years of lack of appreciation by policy‐makers of the coast as a valuable resource, of national development policies that directed attention to other regions, and of the relatively limited demand for coastal recreation.

In the last decade the importance of these factors has diminished. In turn, there is now mounting pressure for the development of coastal land. Increasingly, rising standards of living with a greater demand for recreational facilities, the growth of tourism as a major industry, and demands of the environmental lobby for conservation of part of the coastal land are factors bound to cause intensive change along the coast and to affect the quality of its resources. These trends have brought about public intervention in deciding the future of the coast. This paper reviews and analyzes Israel's coastal policy and its resource management programs, and also discusses the potential challenges to their full implementation.

Three types of programs were suggested as the main management tools: a coastal research and development effort, national coastal land use planning and pollution prevention, and monitoring and control programs. Major objectives of the programs were to be achieved through land use controls. Consequently, an important role is given in the development and implementation of the coastal program to agencies responsible for the management of physical land use planning and development.

Successful implementation of the management program, however, will depend on the ability of its administrators to coordinate the actions of many interests, on success in changing attitudes among decision‐makers as to the value of the coast, and on widening support for coastal resource conservation among a presently uninvolved public.     

Gender Issues within the Population-Environment Nexus in Philippine Coastal Areas

Sixty percent of the Philippine's population resides in the coastal zone. Women and men in coastal communities depend chiefly on the sea for subsistence. Over fifty percent of the dietary protein requirements of coastal communities are derived from municipal fisheries and shallow coastal habitats (reef fishes, marine plants, and mangroves). Coastal populations are young and expanding at rates that exceed regional and national averages. Expanding human pressures and man-made disturbances (over harvesting, destructive fishing, siltation, etc.) that offset natural processes are destroying habitats and creating protein food security crises and increasing malnutrition. At the same time conflicts among users of coastal resources are escalating. Access constraints, gender inequities, and cultural barriers stymie options for women and men to plan their families and create alternative livelihoods. National and local government agencies are addressing food security concerns through vertical policies and programs (e.g., fisheries management, integrated coastal management). The IPOPCORM project uses a cross-sectoral approach and quasi-experimental evaluation design to test the hypothesis that food security will be achieved more quickly when coastal resources management (CRM) and reproductive health (RH) management are implemented together. The purpose of this article is to review the project's experience and highlight the trends observed in program monitoring and evaluation during 2001–2004, which suggest better impact on RH, CRM, and gender indicators in the sites where the synergistic approach is being applied.     

Improving the State of Coastal Areas in the Asia-Pacific Region

Stresses impacting the coastal zone in the Asia-Pacific region are briefly reviewed under the headings of sustainable coastal activities, coastal ecosystem management, community/resource interactions, coastal resource economics and sustainability, coastal area planning, and integrated coastal policies. Recent contributions on mitigation of these stresses are introduced, with emphasis on the Coastal Zone Asia-Pacific Conference, held in Bangkok, May 2002, where various innovative approaches to research, education, information sharing, and coastal policies aiming at improving the state of the coastal areas were presented. These include the roles of community in integrated coastal management; tools and planning for management of coastal areas; education program and capacity building; and the establishments of national and regional frameworks for integrated coastal management. As appropriate information and its transfer are critical to these processes, an analysis is presented of the content of the database on coastal projects in the region, highlighting areas of research interests, funding sources, and achievements. Another database on coastal ecosystems, currently under development, is presented as an example of the type of resource that can be expected to help advance our knowledge and ability to improve the management of coastal areas. Overall, these tools should allow us, given the political will, to improve the state of coastal areas.     

Economic Valuation of Coastal and Marine Resources: Bohol Marine Triangle,Philippines

This article provides results on the net benefits generated from the natural resources in the Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT) in the Philippines. The BMT spans over 112,000 ha and its coastal ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and provide economic opportunities to the coastal communities. With a 10% discount rate, the accumulated total net benefits for the BMT resources over a 10-year period is US$11.54 million. Tourism and the municipal fisheries are the most important direct use values of the coastal and marine resources of the BMT accounting for 44% and 39% of the total net benefits. Annual revenues attributed to ecosystems were as follows: coral reefs, US$1.26 million; beach/intertidal area, US$1.12 million; marine waters, US$646,501; mangrove, US$239,561; and seagrass, US$105,990. The large market values indicate the dependence of the local community on the BMT coastal and marine resources. In the same way, non-market values show the important life-support functions of coastal and marine ecosystems. The net benefits reflect the magnitude of potential losses due to improper management of coastal and marine resources in the BMT. This valuation highlights the importance of the coastal services to the BMT economy and draws attention to the benefits the local stakeholders derive from BMT coastal resources. Policy measures can now take into account these values to justify a sufficient investment in coastal management efforts to sustain the flow of coastal services in the interest of current and future generations.     

Coastal zone management from an administrative perspective: A case study of the san francisco bay conservation and development commission

Abstract

Competent administration of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA) must proceed on an informed understanding of the organization styles and capacities of agencies presently dealing with similar problems. One such agency, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), the forerunner of the California model of coastal management, is analyzed here to shed light on where we are headed and what we can expect administratively as the CZMA becomes an operation reality.

The major administrative insights offered fall into the areas of: (1) effectiveness assessment‐the BCDC's success is systematically defined and measured, and a discussion of what effectiveness evaluation implies in the area of coastal resource management is undertaken; (2) understanding organizational success—the BCDC's administrative style is analyzed in terms of the synergy which has been created between its organizational structure and decision‐making process; and (3) implications of agency success—which of the BCDC's lessons are most valuable and how these can be applied to other situations are shown.