Jacqueline Alder

Western Africa: A Fish Basket of Europe Past and Present

This article shows that despite increasing catches by foreign fishing fleets, the economic growth and social benefits from marine resources have not been met for many western African countries that host these fleets. A meta-analysis of changes in catches, market values, exports, imports, employment, access, and domestic supplies in western Africa since 1960 illustrates the impact of the expansion of distant-water fleets on not only the status of the marine resources and their ecosystems but also on the economic and social conditions of the people of western Africa. Finally, recommendations are made on appropriate management options for foreign fishing fleets and the key initiatives that could be considered by regional fish bodies and governments in western Africa.

A Method for Evaluating Marine Protected Area Management

An assumption underlying the growing support for marine protected areas (MPAs) is that they meet conservation goals and provide economic benefits to fisheries and ecotourism. However, support for MPAs will be at risk if managers cannot assess whether various MPA objectives are being fulfilled. Current approaches to MPA management emphasize the need to evaluate performance criteria; however, there is little consensus on criteria and their evaluation. We propose a marine protected area evaluation model (MPAEM), based on and modified from a multidisciplinary approach used to assess the sustainability of fisheries, called rapid appraisal of fisheries (Rapfish). The application of the MPAEM was explored in a pilot study of 20 MPAs located in different regions of the world. Results indicate that the MPAEM can be used to evaluate MPA management effectiveness. However, the manner in which the evaluation attributes are scored and ways of engaging user groups should be explored before MPAEM can become part of the day-to-day management of MPAs.

Developing MPA Effectiveness Indicators: Comparison Within and Across Stakeholder Groups and Communities

Shared expectations about marine protected areas (MPAs) might be expected to enhance their effectiveness. This study determined whether members of local communities had common or divergent views about the objectives and indicators of MPA effectiveness. In the central Philippines we used unconstrained and constrained methods to interview people in five stakeholder groups (elders, fishers, leaders, women, and youth) associated with each of 10 community-based no-take MPAs that had been protected between 0 and 21 years. Respondents identified multiple MPA objectives, the most frequently mentioned of which was restoring and sustaining fish populations. The results suggest that MPA age accounts for the greatest level of variation across communities. When unconstrained, progress in enforcement was identified as a key indicator among respondents from younger MPAs while respondents from older MPAs identified increased fish abundance and catch. Although consensus can be reached more easily under constrained conditions, the results derived from unconstrained methods are more revealing of the needs and aspirations of communities. These are likely to contribute more to the search for appropriate management interventions, particularly given that MPAs evolve over time. Hence, the development of MPA effectiveness indicators must be an iterative community-informed process to ensure timely and relevant management interventions.

Australia's Oceans Policy: Sink or Swim?

In 1999, Australia introduced an ecosystem-based oceans policy. This article analyzes the issues that must be addressed in implementing this policy. Institutional arrangements and regional marine management plans are the keys to translating ecosystem management principles into day-to-day operation. The proposed institutional arrangements have the potential to overcome the historical problems of coordination and jurisdictional disputes, but implementation has further polarized federal and state agencies and stakeholders. Even if these issues are resolved, the authors note that substantial development is required in the areas of designing nested ecosystem-based management frameworks at the appropriate geographic scales, methods for integrating across the range of users and ecosystem values, and tools for evaluating and assessing ocean management decisions before the policy will affect the ecologically sustainable use of Australias ocean estate.

Frozen fish block: how commited are North Atlantic States to accountability, conservation and management of fisheries?

The North Atlantic Ocean has numerous global, regional, and sub-regional instruments for fisheries management. Research for this paper has examined North Atlantic State levels of compliance with these instruments. The study reveals there to be moderate levels of overall compliance, and a latitudinal gradient of compliance with Northern States scoring higher than those in the south. Of particular significance for other global regions, and the future development of international fisheries law, are the findings that: few regional fishery bodies have a systematic program in place to monitor and assess compliance; and despite overall moderate levels of compliance with the conservation and management regimes, most fishery stocks are either overexploited or at risk or collapse.