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. 2014 May 21;9(5):e98036.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098036. eCollection 2014.

Combining natural history collections with fisher knowledge for community-based conservation in Fiji

Abigail S Golden  1 , Waisea Naisilsisili  2 , Isikele Ligairi  3 , Joshua A Drew  1
Affiliations

Combining natural history collections with fisher knowledge for community-based conservation in Fiji

Abigail S Golden et al. PLoS One. .

Erratum in

  • PLoS One. 2014;9(6):e101407

Abstract

Harnessing the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local communities has the potential to enhance conservation planning in developing regions. Marine protected areas (MPAs) that incorporate traditional beliefs about reef tenure are generally more successful in reaching conservation goals and ensuring the participation of local fishermen on vulnerable tropical reef systems. Fiji possesses a unique system of traditional reef management in which local clans or villages, called mataqali, control individual units of a reef, known as qoliqoli, and make independent management decisions based on traditional beliefs and conservation concerns. This is an example of a system, known as customary marine tenure, which has attracted interest from conservation scientists hoping to set up MPAs in vulnerable regions. As one example of this grassroots participation, Nagigi village on the Fijian island of Vanua Levu has expressed interest in setting up an MPA in part of its qoliqoli because of concerns about overfishing. In response to this interest, we took a two-pronged approach to assessing Nagigi's fishery status and conservation needs, first conducting a fishery-independent species survey using destructive sampling and then focusing on fisheries targets identified through fisher interviews. These interviews allowed us to identify heavily targeted species, assess villagers' understanding of reef dynamics over 30 or 40 years of fisheries expansion, and evaluate village support and expectations for a proposed conservation program. Based on our findings we recommend a temporary closure to be in effect for at least three years, allowing one of the more important fishery targets, Lethrinus harak (Forsskål, 1775; Lethrinidae), to complete at least one generation within the reserve. The methodology of matching the proposed marine protected area with the life histories and ecologies of heavily targeted species identified through fisherman and -woman interviews can offer a template for future conservation projects that seek to synthesize indigenous peoples' needs and knowledge with ecological data.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Map of Fiji used with permission of Daniel Dalet, d-maps.com.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Fishing and transport methods.
Frequency with which common fishing and transport methods were mentioned by men and women in 15 interviews.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Non-finfish targets of men and women's fishing.
Sea turtle and bêche-de-mer harvesting are primarily male pursuits while reef gleaning (for octopus, shellfish, seaweed, etc.) is more egalitarian.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Map of Nagigi showing proposed MPA site.
The proposed MPA includes 12 of reef flat and seagrass meadow directly in front of Nagigi village. It excludes the mangrove swamp to the east of the village and any area outside the fringing reef. Black dashed lines show fringing reefs, while red dotted line shows marine protected area site proposed by the Turaga ni Koro.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Economic and social causes of fish population decline.
Flowchart representing the causal relationships between the economic and social factors to which villagers attribute fish population and biomass decline.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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References

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Publication types

Grants and funding

Funding was provided by the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology of Columbia University and the Mindlin Foundation (http://mindlinfoundation.org). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.