Toward marine democracy in Chile: Examining aquaculture ecological impacts through common property local ecological knowledge (original) (raw)
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Marine Ecological Democracy: Participatory Marine Planning in Indigenous Marine Areas in Chile
Human-Nature Interactions
Significance StatementGlobally, marine ecosystems and indigenous cultures continue to collapse, prompting a need for a paradigm shift in conservation and marine planning. While top-down processes of marine and cultural conservation have widely been shown to be unsuccessful, this chapter shows how to carry out participatory methods for marine conservation planning, through eliciting traditional ecological knowledge and mapping with fisheries communities. Drawing on work in Manquemapu and Caulin Indigenous Marine Areas located in Chile, it considers how different communities identify ecological threats from overfishing and aquaculture, and how researchers can advance the integration of their evidence through participatory GIS. The chapter explores how different valuations of nature are expressed, specifically in Mapuche -Huichille first nation culture and conservation science; and how they can work together.
Territorial user rights for artisanal fisheries in Chile – intended and unintended outcomes
Ocean & Coastal Management, 2013
Granting property rights in fisheries is assumed to provide incentives for sustainable resource exploitation. These rights might also open other income options for fishers, including some that go beyond the original objectives intended by authorities establishing the right. The opportunity for alternative uses is especially high if the details of these rights are not clearly identified. In Chile, a de novo TURF (Territorial User Rights for Fishery) system, called Management Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources (Áreas de Manejo y Explotación de Recursos Bentónicos-AMERB) was created to achieve sustainable exploitation of benthic resources. This study compares two small-scale fishing communities in Chile, Guayacán and Huentelauquén, representing two typical contrasting settings, regarding geographical contexts and surroundings, origin, history, location, social embeddedness, main fisheries activities as well as the motivation and the process through which they acquired their AMERB. While in Guayacán the main fishing activity outside the AMERB is the giant squid and finfish fishery, in Huentelauquén the main and traditional activity has been diving for benthic resources. The objectives to acquire their AMERBs were different in both cases. Huentelauquén applied the AMERB for their traditional activity, the fishery of Concholepas concholepas ("loco"), thus in accordance with the official objective of the AMERB. Due to reduced catches of loco, fishers also added the collection of kelps, using their AMERB to control access to the entire coast surrounding their fishing community, beyond the limits of their AMERB. In Guayacán the AMERB, applied for the management of scallops and a species of red algae, began to be used for sea squirt aquaculture. Within the framework of sustainable fisheries implied by the AMERBs, there was in both cases a clear expectation to gain new sources of income. However with time both AMERBs are being used as a tool for territorial exclusion of other fishers beyond the limits of their respective AMERBs. In Huentelauquén fishers mention mostly negative aspects about the performance of their AMERB, given the poor economic results, being unsatisfied with the AMERB system in general, because they feel that the system disrupted their traditional migration along the coast. In Guayacán, fishers mentioned mostly positive aspects for their AMERB, as it was an opportunity to add new activities. Both examples show that rights-based management approaches are very attractive; they could promote new uses or developments, whose sustainability nevertheless needs to be analyzed further. The analyzed case studies show that, contrary to how the system was developed in Chile, a more bottom-up implementation of new management arrangements may make it easier to agree on common objectives, and/or leave more freedom for fishers to adjust and arrange their livelihood. Considering the importance the AMERBs have acquired for fishers, these kinds of systems need flexible regulations in order that fishers can adapt the system to local traditions, uses or needs and also to their learning and adapting capacities.
Navigating transformations in governance of Chilean marine coastal resources
Proceedings of the …, 2010
Marine ecosystems are in decline. New transformational changes in governance are urgently required to cope with overfishing, pollution, global changes, and other drivers of degradation. Here we explore social, political, and ecological aspects of a transformation in governance of Chile's coastal marine resources, from 1980 to today. Critical elements in the initial preparatory phase of the transformation were (i) recognition of the depletion of resource stocks, (ii) scientific knowledge on the ecology and resilience of targeted species and their role in ecosystem dynamics, and (iii) demonstration-scale experimental trials, building on smaller-scale scientific experiments, which identified new management pathways. The trials improved cooperation among scientists and fishers, integrating knowledge and establishing trust. Political turbulence and resource stock collapse provided a window of opportunity that triggered the transformation, supported by new enabling legislation. Essential elements to navigate this transformation were the ability to network knowledge from the local level to influence the decision-making processes at the national level, and a preexisting social network of fishers that provided political leverage through a national confederation of artisanal fishing collectives. The resultant governance scheme includes a revolutionary national system of marine tenure that allocates user rights and responsibilities to fisher collectives. Although fine tuning is necessary to build resilience of this new regime, this transformation has improved the sustainability of the interconnected social-ecological system. Our analysis of how this transformation unfolded provides insights into how the Chilean system could be further developed and identifies generalized pathways for improved governance of marine resources around the world.
Marine Indigenous Areas: Conservation Assemblages for Sustainability in Southern Chile
Coastal Management, 2020
Globally, Indigenous Marine Areas are contributing to ocean sustainability by protecting key habitats and species whilst safeguarding customary uses for local communities. They are emerging as one of the key political mechanisms that can counteract the ravages of the blue Anthropocene. Nevertheless, their contributions are threatened by the accelerating expansion of economic activities, and exclusionary marine governance systems, affecting both marine biodiversity and human wellbeing. In southern Chile, indigenous communities have been countering the expansion of the salmon farms by pro- moting the establishment of Espacios Costeros Marinos para Pueblos Originarios (here called Indigenous Marine Areas or IMAs). These IMAs are being developed by coastal communities to protect traditional or customary coastal uses, and revitalizing culture whilst contributing to marine conservation. Using a relational theoretical approach and mixed methods, the paper presents the major trends in the implementation of IMAs in Chile. Through the case of the Los Lagos Region, it shows how the action-network that pursued the designation of IMAs is continuing today. The paper stresses the role of conservation assemblages to lead collective actions, showing how these constellations of agents have been interacting during the decision-making process and institutional building, whilst promoting the establishment of IMAs as place-based democratic mechanism to pro- mote the sustainability of the southern Chile.
Conservation Biology, 2012
Territorial user rights for fisheries have been advocated as a way to achieve sustainable resource management. However, few researchers have empirically assessed their potential as ancillary marine conservation instruments by comparing them to no-take marine protected areas. In kelp (Lessonia trabeculata) forests of central Chile, we compared species richness, density, and biomass of macroinvertebrates and reef fishes among territorial-user-right areas with low-level and high-level enforcement, no-take marine protected areas, and open-access areas in 42 100-m subtidal transects. We also assessed structural complexity of the kelp forest and substratum composition. Multivariate randomized permutation tests indicated macroinvertebrate and reef fish communities associated with the different access regimes differed significantly. Substratum composition and structural complexity of kelp forest did not differ among access regimes. Univariate analyses showed species richness, biomass, and density of macroinvertebrates and reef fishes were greater in highly enforced territorial-user-right areas and no-take marine protected areas than in open-access areas. Densities of macroinvertebrates and reef fishes of economic importance were not significantly different between highly enforced territorial-user-right and no-take marine protected areas. Densities of economically important macroinvertebrates in areas with low-level enforcement were significantly lower than those in areas with high-level enforcement and no-take marine protected areas but were significantly higher than in areas with open access. Territorial-user-right areas could be important ancillary conservation instruments if they are well enforced.
"After decades of mangrove deforestation for the development of shrimp farming, the Ecuadorian state began to officially recognize the ancestral rights of traditional users of coastal mangrove resources in the late 1990s. This article traces the trajectory of coastal policy change and the transformation of mangrove tenure regimes from an implicit preference for shrimp aquaculture to a focus on conservation and sustainable development with greater community participation through the establishment of community-managed mangrove areas called custodias. I argue that while the custodias have empowered local communities in their struggle to defend their livelihoods and environment against the marginalizing forces of global shrimp aquaculture, the implementation of common property arrangements for mangrove fishery management has changed the nature of property rights, the distribution of resources, and social relations among collectors of mangrove cockles (Anadara tuberculosa and A. similis). I suggest a need to develop a political ecology of the commons, an analytical approach applied here to examine the fundamental shift in the nature of the struggle over mangrove resources, from artisanal fishers versus shrimp farmers to a struggle between compañeros: members of associations versus independent cockle collectors. Such a shift in the struggle over resources threatens to undermine the sustainability of the fishery. I conclude that shifting access may be an important underlying factor contributing to a tragedy of enclosures in Ecuador's mangrove cockle fishery. Keywords: political ecology; property rights; common property; access; tragedy of enclosures; shrimp aquaculture; mangroves; artisanal fisheries; Anadara spp., Ecuador Resumen Después de décadas de deforestación de los manglares en favor del desarrollo de la industria camaronera, en los últimos años de los 90s, Ecuador empezó a reconocer los derechos consuetudinarios que tienen los "usuarios ancestrales" de los recursos del manglar. En este artículo se muestra la trayectoria de cambio en las políticas costeras y la transformación de los regímenes de tenencia de manglares desde una preferencia por el desarrollo de la acuacultura, hacia la conservación y el desarrollo sostenible con mayor participación de las comunidades costeras mediante el establecimiento de la custodia y la gestión comunitaria. Yo propongo que las custodias han dado poder político a las comunidades locales en su lucha por defender sus medios de subsistencia y del medio ambiente en contra de las fuerzas de marginación que sobre ellas ejerce la acuacultura global. Sin embargo, la reconfiguración de las instituciones de propiedad común ha alterado los esquemas de los derechos de propiedad, la distribución de los recursos, y las relaciones sociales entre los recolectores de concha prieta (Anadara tuberculosa and A. similis). Sugiero la necesidad de desarrollar un marco de ecología política de los comuneros, una aplicación fundamental para ilustrar y entender la evolución de la lucha por los recursos del manglar, misma que se ha transformado de un conflicto entre los pescadores artesanales frente a los productores de camarón, hasta una lucha entre compañeros: los socios contra los concheros independientes, lo anterior, podría socavar la sostenibilidad de la pesquería. El cambio en los derechos de acceso al recurso es un factor que potencialmente puede contribuir a una tragedia en la privatización de la pesquería para la concha prieta en el Ecuador. Palabras clave: ecología política; derechos de propiedad; propiedad común; acceso; tragedia de la privatización; acuacultura del camarón; pesquerías artesanales; Anadara spp., manglares; Ecuador Résumé A la fin des années 1990, l'Equateur a engagé des actions pour la reconnaissance des droits coutumiers des usagers de la mangrove, cela après des décennies de déforestation au profit du développement de l'élevage des crevettes. Le présent article retrace l'histoire des changements des politiques côtières et celle de la transformation des régimes de propriétés des mangroves depuis le développement de l'aquaculture jusqu'aux tentatives récentes de conservation de cet écosystème; la recherche d'une gestion durable de la mangrove passe aujourd'hui par des formes de concertation et notamment la création des custodias – zones de pêche gérées collectivement par les communautés côtières. Je souhaite démontrer que si les custodias ont donné un certain pouvoir aux communautés locales au travers de la défense de leurs environnement et mode de vie traditionnel, la mise en place de ces régimes de propriété collective a changé la nature des droits de propriétés, la distribution des ressources et les relations sociales entre ramasseurs de coquillages (Anadara tuberculosa and A. similis). Je suggère, dans cet article, qu'il est nécessaire d'aborder la question de la gestion des ressources des mangroves au travers du prisme de l'écologie politique des biens communs et d'une approche analytique appliquée ; on pourra dés lors examiner un déplacement fondamental des conflits, d'un conflit entre pêcheurs traditionnels vs industriels de la crevette vers un conflit entre membres des associations de gestion communautaires vs ramasseurs de coquillages indépendants; ce déplacement pouvant grandement compromettre la viabilité de la pêche. Je conclus que le changement des droits d'accès à la ressource est un facteur qui peut potentiellement contribuer à une tragédie de la privatisation de la pêche de la coquille brune en Equateur. Mots-clés: écologie politique, droits de propriété, accès aux biens communs; tragédie de privatisation, aquaculture des crevettes, pêche artisanale, Anadara spp., mangroves, Equateur
Through ethnographic enquiry and an anthropological approach this thesis provides insights into the socio-cultural dynamics surrounding local communities’ participation in a Multiple-Use Marine Protected Area (MUMPA). Using a broad range of sources, this research illustrates the different nuances of local relationships. The methodology included small-scale group settings facilitating an in-depth anthropological study that offers a privileged understanding of the social realm of MUMPAs. The assessment focuses on elements of Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDPs), employing Lafken Mapu Lahual (LML) MUMPA as a case study—in Chile—that shows the applicability of this type of project in a specific Latin American context. The research examines the reasons why inclusion of human aspects, including the implications of social and cultural characteristics, has not received much attention in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In addition, the consequences and effects of this exclusion are discussed. The analysis shows that the local reality is more complex tan portrayed by the LML MUMPA staff, including their failure to adequately learn about the social and cultural way of organising, interests and history of local communities. This oversight hindered the local people’s engagement in the LML MUMPA. This thesis specifically addresses the project’s exacerbation of conflict over resource access between the indigenous communities included in the LML MUMPA project and the historical artisanal fishers that were excluded from it. The LML MUMPA regulated resource rights to an area providing the former group free access while simultaneously denying such access to the latter group. The ICDP approach, which provided the framework for the LML MUMPA, established prescriptions of who would be the appropriate participants in a marine conservation area: the indigenous people. However, the approach uses only one idea to describe and define indigenous social and cultural characteristics. This thesis shows that diverse culturally defined resource use practices—as an element on which project staff based their selection of main stakeholders and to allocate benefits of the LML MUMPA challenge the simple application of ICDPs to marine and coastal areas. The conclusion drawn from the analysis of the research is that different situations obstructed the LML MUMPA deployment. These different situations are important in that they show the complexity of the concepts of ethnicity and local stakeholders. At a superficial level, several seemingly successful and representative organizations failed to fulfil the role of project stakeholders. Also, the official commitment of the regional authorities was not fulfilled, which hampered the viability of the LML MUMPA. This analysis outlines the importance of managing the local participants’ expectations of the benefits from their involvement in the project. This is paramount for long term engagement. These issues are important in that they help to develop arguments about the complexity of social and cultural concepts in marine conservation projects based on biological parameters.
Marine aquaculture accounts for approximately one third of human consumption of fish, and its further expansion is supported by international organisations such as the United Nations and the European Union. However, this expansion also requires an increase of the farming area which means the leasing and therefore the exclusion of others from an area of public domain. This paper is a study into the governance of marine aquaculture in the island of Cyprus by (i) unfolding the regulatory framework for marine aquaculture, (ii) analysing the environmental protections tools related to aquaculture, the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Monitoring Reports, and (iii) by conducting interviews with relevant stakeholders. Even though the regulatory framework seemed to be in compliance with EU and national regulations, this was often questioned by stakeholders. Serious conflicts between stakeholders, which occurred in different periods, were identified. Shortcomings related mainly to the one-dimensional focus of evaluating the EIAs, without taking into account the opinions of communities in the proximity of the proposed aquaculture farms, fisher groups and environmental NGOs. Coastal communities are often already affected by a number of developments such as tourism and the expansion of the oil and gas sector. To ensure balanced decision making, EIAs should become integrated assessments that also explore the potential social impacts of a development and address the desires and concerns of these communities. In the current economic climate, net economic gain and the contribution of a development to a country's GDP should not monopolise the discussions.
In a post-industrial economy, it is as important to understand " material " productive processes in the local community as the processes through which global value chains " expropriate " or " co-opt " common immaterial assets. However, the literature on collective action and the management of common goods generally focuses on matters of the control and governance of material resources. The article commences with an analysis of the relations between the production of value, collective action and the rentier nature of contemporary capitalism and its entrepre-neurial ideology. Then, we present a detailed analysis of the case of mytilid seed capture in the Reloncaví Estuary (Los Lagos Region, Chile). This case shows us the failure of modernisation policies which are based on converting local producers into modern entrepreneurs. To adopt a successful value strategy, a very different problem must be addressed, namely the difficulties of local communities in managing successfully their own common immaterial values. Faced with the dichotomous logic of neoliberalism, communities must reunite these immaterial values and the associated common material resources, and modulate the friction between them. RESUMEN: Acción colectiva y capital simbólico en las pesquerías artesanales: un análisis de los Sistemas Agroa-limentarios Locales del Estuario de Reloncaví (Los Lagos), Chile.-En una economía postindustrial, es importante comprender los procesos productivos " materiales " en la comunidad local como procesos a través de los cuales las cadenas globales de valor " expropian " o " cooptan " los activos inmateriales comunes. Sin embargo, la literatura so-bre acción colectiva y gestión de los bienes comunes generalmente se focaliza en el control y la gobernanza de los recursos materiales. Este artículo comienza con un análisis de las relaciones entre la producción del valor, la acción colectiva y la naturaleza rentista de capitalismo contemporáneo y su ideología emprendedora. A continuación, pre-sentamos un análisis detallado del caso del cultivo de semillas de mitílidos en el Estuario de Reloncaví (Los Lagos, Chile). El caso nos muestra el fracaso de las políticas de modernización basadas en convertir a los productores loca-les en empresarios modernos. Para adoptar una estrategia de valorización exitosa, debe abordar un problema muy diferente: las dificultades de las comunidades locales para gestionar exitosamente sus propios valores inmateriales comunes. Enfrentadas con la lógica dicotómica del neoliberalismo, las comunidades deben reunir estos valores in-materiales y los recursos materiales comunes asociados, y modular la fricción entre ellos.