What can be learned from fishers' perceptions for fishery management planning? Case study insights from Sainte-Marie, Madagascar.

ABSTRACT: Local support is critical to the success and longevity of fishery management initiatives. Previous research suggests that how resource users perceive ecological changes, explain them, and cope with them, influences local support. The objectives of this study were two-fold. First, we collated local fishers' knowledge to characterize the long-term socio-ecological dynamics of the small-scale fishery of Sainte-Marie Island, in Madagascar. Second, we empirically assessed the individual- and site-level factors influencing support for fishery restrictions. Our results indicate that fishers observed a decline in fish abundance and catch sizes, especially in nearshore areas; many also perceived a reduction in fish sizes and the local disappearance of species. To maintain their catches, most fisher

SUBMITTER: Bernos TA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8592436 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature