Related Papers
PeerJ
Long-term participation in collaborative fisheries research improves angler opinions on marine protected areas
Erica T (Jarvis) Mason
Recent marine spatial planning efforts, including the management and monitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs), increasingly focus on the importance of stakeholder engagement. For nearly 15 years, the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP) has partnered volunteer anglers with researchers, the fishing industry, and resource managers to monitor groundfishes in California’s network of MPAs. While the program has succeeded in generating sustained biological observations, we know little about volunteer angler demography or the impact of participation on their perceptions and opinions on fisheries data or MPAs. In this study we surveyed CCFRP volunteers to learn about (a) volunteer angler demographics and attitudes toward groundfish management and stock health, (b) volunteer angler motivations for joining and staying in the program, and (c) whether participation in the program influenced volunteer angler opinions on the quality of fisheries data used in resource man...
Proceedings of the 2003 …
New England recreational fishers' attitudes toward marine protected areas: a preliminary investigation
2003 •
Robert Robertson
Measuring the benefits and costs of community education and outreach in marine protected areas
Hesti Widodo
Conservation organizations often invest considerable resources in education and outreach activities in and around marine protected areas (MPAs). The expectation is that such efforts will change local knowledge, attitudes and ultimately behavior. This is one of the first studies to assess the efficacy of using education and outreach activities to improve community knowledge and attitudes about an MPA. Random sample surveys in 2005 and 2010 (n1⁄41213) before and after education and outreach activities are compared. Program budgets for the same period give the investment levels. With an investment level averaging US$24 per capita/year, the result was an average increase of 33% in ‘‘yes’’ responses across 15 indicators of knowledge and attitudes towards marine conservation. The increase in knowledge and positive attitudes was associated with a large decrease in ‘‘not sure’’ responses, suggesting that community members with fewer initial preconceptions are the most effective target for education and outreach activities. This study demonstrates that investments in MPA education and outreach can generate increases in local knowledge and positive attitudes, and changing knowledge and attitudes is expected to contribute to the long-term compliance with MPA regulations.
Fisheries
Saltwater Anglers' Attitudes towards Marine Protected Areas
2004 •
David Loomis
Marine Policy
The power of participation: Challenges and opportunities for facilitating trust in cooperative fisheries research in the Maine lobster fishery
2018 •
Christine Beitl
Recent paradigm shifts in fisheries science have emphasized the need for cooperative research to address sustainability challenges by bridging epistemological differences between scientists and resource users and promoting power sharing in the production of knowledge for a more holistic understanding of the marine environment. To address the question of power-sharing, this paper explores motivations, perceptions, and personal experiences of Maine lobstermen involved with various types of cooperative fisheries research (CFR). The main finding is that distrust between stakeholders is a persistent challenge, as shown in other research. However, a lack of trust may also sometimes serve as a motivator for participation, particularly where fishermen anticipate the threat of increased regulations. In cases where policies are top-down (e.g. Federal regulations like Endangered Species Act), fishermen are aware of a certain powerlessness despite the degree to which cooperative research involves their input. This reinforces their skepticism that often stifles the ability of researchers to build meaningful relationships, especially in projects with short life spans. Fishermen value personal relationships with researchers based on mutual respect that have been built over time, regardless of the type of research. The findings suggest that a better understanding of these personal relationships and power dynamics could guide researchers in the process of building trust and facilitating transparent communication between groups to overcome persistent barriers in CFR, address sustainability challenges in the fishing industry, and promote more power-sharing between scientists, managers, and industry members.
Ocean & Coastal Management
Beyond traditional stakeholder engagement: Public participation roles in California's statewide marine protected area planning process
2013 •
Dominique Monié, Darci Maresca, Kelly Sayce, Annie Reisewitz, Brian Owens
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1080 08920750490276236
Seeking Consensus on Designing Marine Protected Areas: Keeping the Fishing Community Engaged
2010 •
Mark Helvey
Fisheries
Fishing with a Mission: Collaborating to Monitor California's Marine Protected Areas
2011 •
Erin Loury
Exploring recreational fishers' perceptions, attitudes, and support towards a multiple-use marine protected area six years after implementation
Carol Martin
This study assessed the acceptance and awareness of an Australian MPA (Port Stephens-Great Lakes Marine Park) post implementation by recreational fishers using the MPA, and identified factors that influenced the perception of this group towards the MPA. Recreational fishers were interviewed in a multiple-use MPA to investigate their perceptions, attitudes, and support towards the MPA six years after implementation. Almost two thirds of recreational fishers supported the MPA and had positive attitudes towards the concept of MPAs. This is a key result since a similar pre-implementation survey of recreational fishers found only 12% would support the creation of PSGLMP due to fears the MPA would negatively impact their fishing activities and ability to catch fish. However, there was a subgroup of fishers who opposed the MPA and were more inclined to have negative attitudes towards the rationale behind MPAs, despite the common perception that no-take zones were for fisheries management purposes and could increase fish stocks in the MPA. More experienced fishers were inclined to oppose the MPA, as well as fishers who believed management zones did not provide clear rules for activities, penalties for non-compliance were too harsh, or that no-take zones did not increase fish stocks. An important perceived threat to the MPA was from commercial fishing due to perceptions of over-exploitation and issues of non-compliance. In contrast, the majority of recreational fishers did not believe the collective actions of recreational fishers negatively impacted the marine environment and fish stocks, or the number of fish available for capture in the future. An improved understanding of these social aspects is important to target ongoing management in order to increase acceptance, success and long-term existence of MPAs.
Marine Policy
Recreational fishers’ support for no-take marine reserves is high and increases with reserve age
2018 •
Matthew Navarro
