11th ICRS Abstract book - Nova Southeastern University

21.811
Integrating Ecological And Perceptual Assessments Of Anchor Damage On Coral
Reefs
Elizabeth DINSDALE* 1
1 Biology Department, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
Community participation in ecological management increases the success of the
strategies. However, integrating information provided by community members is
problematic. Therefore, anchor damage of coral reefs was used as a model to understand
how people with different backgrounds described coral reefs and whether these
descriptions would be useful for managers. To identify relationships between
environmental interpretations, three epistemologically distinct measures; objective
ecological measures, perceptual meanings, and subjective health judgments were
compared. The ecological measures identified an increase in the number of overturned
corals and a reduction in coral cover: the perceptual meanings identified a loss of visual
quality; and the health judgments identified a reduction in perceived health of the coral
reef sites associated with high levels of anchoring. Combining the perceptual meanings
and health judgments identified that the assessment of environmental health was the most
important feature of the environment described by both scientific and lay participants.
The participants had a consistent view of a healthy coral reef, suggesting that the ability
to identify the health was not related to present day experiences. By combining subjective
judgments and ecological measures the point at which the environment is deemed to
loose value can be identified; for these coral reefs if the level of damage rose above
10.3% and the cover of branching corals dropped below 17.1% the reefs were described
as unhealthy. The most effective measures were used to describe the effectiveness of a
management strategy implemented to reduce anchor damage on coral reefs. Therefore, by
combining this information a management agency can involve the community in
identifying when remedial action is required and when the management policies have
been effective.
21.812
Destructive Fishing Practices: Identifying Its Triggering Factors And
Understanding The Interplays Of Institutions in Coral Reef Management in
Spermonde Archipelago Indonesia
Rio DESWANDI* 1 , Marion GLASER 2
1 Social Science, Bremen University, Makassar, Indonesia, 2 ZMT, Bremen University,
Bremen, Germany
Spermonde archipelago is suspected as point of destructive fishing practices. This
ongoing qualitative study employs in-depth interview and participant observation. Local
perceptions perceive coastal resources as belong to nobody, the fish never been exhausted
but seasonally fluctuated, the fortune of fishermen is god’s authority, and coastal water is
a borderless open access area. Therefore, it is unreasonable for them to exclude outsiders
and to stop destructive fishing practices. Indeed, anglers are benefited from blast fishing
and “protect” this activity as it has social value. They may collect the fish resulted from
blast fishing. Empirically, it is beneficial to fish at the blast spot as more fish will be
gathered few days after. Fishermen perceive blast fishing as non-destructive activity
compare to cyanide fishing.
Before 1960s, traditional leader (gallarang) defined authorize users and legal fishing
activities. This traditional system had been replaced by state system. Inherently, most
fishermen do not recognized customary/traditional rules regarding fishing activities
nowadays. On the other hand, government’s measurements to stop destructive fishing
practices are not yet effective. Limited budget and facilities compare to huge area remain
a constraint. Government’s regulations are not well-acknowledged by fishermen. Further,
administrative boundaries generate obstacles in monitoring and law enforcement. Still,
corrupt officers are suspected behind blast fishing.
As conclusion, local perceptions, economic/welfare issues, characteristics of coastal
resources, ineffective regulations, and corrupt officers are among factors identified to
trigger destructive fishing practices. Government’s institution eliminates the wisdom of
traditional management system in managing coastal resources. Considering the
intertwined between local perceptions, economic issues, and traditional versus
government management system, it is significant to understand how different institutions
interact upon particular social and biophysical settings to formulate appropriate
management systems.
Poster Mini-Symposium 21: Social-Ecological Systems
21.813
Marine Resource Management in Aceh, Indonesia: Practice And Perception
Stuart CAMPBELL* 1 , Rizya LEGAWA 1 , Ahmad MUKMUNIN 1 , Tasrif KARTAWIJAYA 1 ,
Rian SERIANTO 1 , Fakhrizal SETIAWAN 1 , Andrew BAIRD 2 , Joshua CINNER 2
1 Marine Programs, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bogor, Indonesia, 2 School of Tropical
Marine Biology, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
Coral reef and socioeconomic surveys were conducted in north Sumatra, Indonesia to examine
the influence of traditional fisheries management practices and socioeconomic conditions on
coral reefs. We interviewed a total of 157 respondents within 7 different fishing communities of
Weh Island to examine if the knowledge varied among fishing communities of the location of
marine managed areas, their rules and perceived benefits, and if so, what socioeconomic factors
explained such differences. We also tested for differences in corals and reef fishes near
communities and whether or not differences could be explained by knowledge of rules,
compliance or resource use. Both coral cover and fish biomass were generally greater where
communities had effective controls on fishing activities than in communities without controls.
Our findings were that the communities most effective at conserving marine resources had
significantly higher awareness and knowledge of the location and regulations of adjacent
marine managed areas, had higher education levels and were located at greater distances from
fish markets than communities with limited management controls on fishing. A measure of
compliance with fishing gear restrictions in managed areas most likely accounted for lower
fishing pressure in these areas. Trophic behaviour may explain some of the spatial differences in
fish biomass, with corallivores and omnivores showing stronger associations with marine
managed areas where coral cover was greatest. We suggest that in Aceh, local forms of marine
management, where there has been protection from blast fishing and there exists a measure of
compliance with local fishing regulations, play a substantial role in the protection of coral reefs.
Given the rapid expansion in community marine managed areas in Indonesia, and the paucity of
data showing benefits to reef health, the current study illuminates our understanding of some
socioeconomic factors that may best advance the conservation of Indonesia’s coral reefs.
21.814
Linking drivers of exploitation to key ecosystem processes in coral reefs
Matilda THYRESSON* 1 , Magnus NYSTRÖM 1 , Beatrice CRONA 1 , Maricela DE LA
TORRE-CASTRO 1 , Jerker LOKRANTZ 1 , Narriman JIDDAWI 2
1 Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm, Sweden, 2 Institute of Marine Sciences, Zanzibar
town, Tanzania
Coral reefs worldwide are in serious decline due to overfishing and other human-related
interventions. Identifying socio-economic drivers and the scales at which they may act upon is
critical as reef-resources become increasingly attractive on the global market. This study
examines the impacts of artisanal reef-fisheries on reefs around Zanzibar by linking socioeconomic
drivers to the degradation of ecologically important species, or groups of species that
maintain key ecosystem processes, such as herbivory. The aim is to identify what socioeconomic
drivers (e.g. subsistence provision, market demands, and subsidies for certain species
or capital investment) are in place and discern their behavior and scale at which they operate.
The study, which was performed between November 2007 and January 2008, builds on semistructured
interviews with 180 respondents (fishermen, hotels etc.) involved in the reeffisheries.
The results suggest that specific species (or groups of species) and/or size classes are
exploited by different drivers operating at certain scales (i.e. locally, regionally and globally).
These findings can be important for protecting ecosystem processes that underpin the resilience
in coral reefs and the study further suggests that different processes may require different
management strategies.
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