Increasing anthropogenic pressure on the sea and alteration of coastscapes challenge the functioning of marine ecosystems and long-term reliance on blue economies, especially for developing southern economies. The structural hardening of shores can result in ecological disruptions, with cascading effects on the wellbeing and livelihoods of marginalised groups who depend on marine resources. Mitigation, adaptation and rehabilitation options for coastal developments should include innovative, socially responsible solutions to be used to modify shorelines and ensure long-term functionality of metropolitan coastal ecosystems. Nature-based innovations are being developed to improve surrogacy for natural marine ecosystems. The co-creation of nature-based structures, entailing partnerships between scientists and a local rural community is currently being considered in South Africa and we present this regional case study as a transdisciplinary framework for research in nature-based, ecological engineering of coastal systems. Novel transdisciplinary approaches include ecomusicological interventions, where traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) create opportunities for transgressive pedagogy. This step aims to ensure that the knowledge gathered through nature-based scientific research remains a part of community developed Indigenous knowledge systems. The merging of innovative, eco-creative approaches and TCEs has the potential to sustainably and ethically improve the functioning and diversity of coastal urban habitats. This review tackles the potential of transdisciplinary settings to transform urban coastlines using “low-tech” engineering and Indigenous eco-creative innovations to pedagogy, to benefit the people and biological communities as well as reduce social and gender inequalities.

Sea cucumbers play a critical role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. Sea cucumbers are also a key source of income for millions of small-scale fishers worldwide. The lucrative nature of this industry has led to severe reductions in sea cucumber populations in numerous regions globally. A large proportion of sea cucumber fisheries are located in developing countries, which present unique challenges to management, including addressing highly decentralized methods of extraction and processing, limited economic and technological resources for governance and, in many cases, a high dependency on sea cucumbers as a primary source of income for small-scale coastal fishers. In this review, we review the benefits and challenges of seven categories of sea cucumber management strategies used globally in developing countries, including gear restrictions, size and weight limits, effort and catch controls, temporal closures, area closures, value chain licensing and territorial use rights in fisheries. We conclude that sea cucumber management in developing countries could benefit from focusing regulatory solutions on narrowed parts of the value chain, coupling production-based management strategies with processing and export regulations and providing avenues for local fishers to inform policy at the local, regional and national levels.

Despite a growing body of literature on integrated land–sea management (ILSM), very little critical assessment has been conducted in order to evaluate ILSM in practice on island systems. Here we develop indicators for assessing 10 integrated island management principles and evaluate the performance of planning and implementation in four island ILSM projects from the tropical Pacific across different governance structures. We find that where customary governance is still strongly respected and enabled through national legislation, ILSM in practice can be very effective at restricting access and use according to fluctuations in resource availability. However, decision-making under customary governance systems may be vulnerable to mismanagement. Government-led ILSM processes have the potential to design management actions that address the spatial scale of ecosystem processes and threats within the context of national policy and legislation, but may not fully capture broad stakeholder interests, and implementation may be poorly coordinated across highly dispersed island archipelagos. Private sector partnerships offer unique opportunities for resourcing island ILSM, although these are highly likely to be geared towards private sector interests that may change in the future and no longer align with community and/or national objectives. We identify consistent challenges that arise during island ILSM planning and implementation and offer recommendations for improvement.

Research in recent decades has shown that although conventional fisheries management strategies such as fishing seasons, size limits, or gear restrictions can provide sufficient biological protection to fisheries stocks, they do not necessarily lead to satisfactory social or economic outcomes. In their stead, the merits and shortcomings of a variety of alternate management systems, including individual transferable quotas, have been proposed, implemented, and analyzed. Few investigations, however, have examined actual fishers' preferences for different management systems. Integrating results from a mail survey of North Carolina commercial fishers with their individual harvest histories and sociodemographic profiles shows that economic and cultural variables both play a significant role in management system preference. The analysis introduces the use of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), a measure of investment diversity, as a measure of diversity in fisheries harvests and demonstrates an association with management preferences. Social and family factors are also notable indicators.

Indian marine fisheries have expanded four-fold in the last 50 years in the form of open-access commons. Although studies predict that fish stocks are on the decline there is little evidence that these declines are being countered by changes in either fishing regulations or fishing practices. Fishermen rarely comply with regulations, instead operationalizing and directing the fishery on their own. In these circumstances understanding how fishermen perceive and use resources has significant management and policy implications. Our study examined fishermen's perceptions about the state of fish stocks and documents current fishing practice and management strategies in India. We surveyed 342 fishermen in two states, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. We found that 86% of fishermen perceived a decline in catch and 69% perceived a decline in bycatch. Fishermen adapt to these declines by increasing fishing area and time spent, changing their gear, and overlapping in fishing zones. The convoluted interactions between ineffective community and state regulations guiding their actions has prevented fishermen from developing successful models of sustainable fisheries management. We identified non-compliance with regulations and government incentives as an important livelihood opportunity. Non-compliance drives change in fishing practice by giving fishermen the flexibility to respond to perceived fish catch dynamics by modifying their practices. We recommend strengthening local fishing communities by enabling them to enforce fishing regulations locally and by scaling back of existing government incentives, to protect the sustainability of these fisheries.

The loss of biodiversity has become a major environmental issue during the course of the twentieth century. Numerous indigenous farm animal breeds have been replaced by commercial breeds in agricultural production processes in industrialized countries, sometimes resulting in complete breed loss and at other times placing the breed in an endangered status. Loss of breeds occurs mainly due to the striving for more intensive production, which often means that indigenous farm animal breeds are kept in conventional production only in marginal agricultural areas. One such endangered breed is the Yakutian Cattle, an indigenous Siberian cattle breed that is kept in the Russian Far East. The cattle have a low output but valuable characteristics that confer adaptation to the northern environment. This article addresses the socio-cultural and political context of conservation of the cattle at different levels in society. The conservation of animal genetic resources is embedded in the international agenda, and the Russian Federation has ratified conventions to protect them. The conservation is de facto organized at the republic level. The local communities carry out the conservation in practice by keeping and maintaining the cattle, although the conservation was initiated by the scientific community. We suggest that the conservation of Yakutian Cattle is based on national and local interests, rather than on global conventions on biological or cultural diversity. Furthermore, the reasons for conservation are different at different levels, which constitute both an advantage and a challenge for the future.

Differences are emerging in decentralization of forest and community management in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. This paper draws on case studies in each country to examine five aspects of their decentralization experience, namely forest tenure, new organizational structures, accountability and livelihood outcomes. Tenure arrangements developed as a result of decentralization are important for communities, as these determine the nature of access sanctioned by the state and security of the arrangements. The transfer of power to new organizations is proving to be a challenge. Experiences across the three case studies show that new committees were formed for these forestry initiatives by outside agencies and attempts were made to make them relevant to the way local communities managed forests. One of the main tenets of decentralization revolves around accountability of community representatives to their constituents rather than to the state. Although moves have been made to promote the accountability of community representatives, these have produced mixed results in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa. Only after changes in the approach taken by the state in Zimbabwe did community representatives become more accountable. In Mozambique, because of the special arrangements around the specific case, greater authority was given to community representatives, whereas, in South Africa, the state retained authority over representatives. Decentralization may bring benefits and improve communities' livelihoods from forestry activities, however much more still needs to be done by states in order for forests to take communities out of poverty.

Despite the current expansion of community-based marine conservation initiatives in the Pacific, few studies have specifically addressed their ecological efficiency to restore or enhance reef invertebrate resources. This paper investigated the effects of two very small (< 0.05 km2) recent village-based marine reserves (tabu areas) located along the shallow fringing reef of Emau island, Vanuatu. Surveys focused on heavily harvested species (namely trochus, giant clams and green snails) and involved both experienced scientists and local villagers. Abundance, density and individual size data were collected by snorkelling along random transect belts located inside and outside the tabu areas, using simple PVC measuring tools specifically developed for participative monitoring. Habitat was assessed using a photographic method to quantitatively describe varied reef substrata. Resource recovery varied between the areas as a result of species-specific responses to contrasted reserve characteristics and local management practices. Fast-growing mobile Trochus niloticus exhibited strong positive abundance and size responses only within the older larger tabu area through the combined effects of protection from harvesting and translocation actions by local fishers. Similar trends were observed to a lesser extent for sessile slow-growing giant clams (Tridacna spp.), but these were not significant after four years of closure. Despite historical evidence of their presence in the area, surveys emphasized the severe population collapse of the heavily targeted green snail (Turbo marmoratus). Under certain conditions, very small-scale reserves, such as those implemented by village-based conservation initiatives, can rapidly and efficiently enhance local reef invertebrate resources. It is still unclear whether the changes are sufficient to restore critical levels of spawning biomass at larger scale and reverse the severe depletion of invertebrate resources occurring in Vanuatu.

National laws and institutions interact with local governance systems to encourage CBNRM in some cases while creating conflict in others. A case study of Kubulau District (Bua Province, Fiji) illustrates the challenges and successes of implementing traditional community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) within a pluralist legal and institutional context. In 2005, the communities of Kubulau established a network of protected areas, including 17 traditional closures (tabu), three no-take district marine reserves, a legally–declared forest reserve and a proposed forest reserve, managed under an integrated ‘ridge-to-reef’ plan. Marine and terrestrial areas in Kubulau illustrate synergies and discord between national laws and community management rules, and provide examples of management success and conflict. Key components influencing diverse management outcomes in Kubulau include (1) the legal status of customary resource tenure, (2) incorporation of local knowledge, traditions and priorities, (3) clearly articulated relationships between local decision-making processes and government regulation, and (4) perceived equity in distribution of management benefits. Legal and institutional reforms are proposed to improve management of natural resources in Fiji.

Various management approaches have been proposed to address the alarming depletion of marine coastal resources. Prominent among them are community-based management and the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs). The overall poor performance of MPAs can be traced to a failure to effectively include local communities in the design and implementation of relevant measures. Recent efforts have incorporated aspects of community-based management into a hybrid form of management, which ideally builds upon existing local management practices. A key challenge lies in the development of appropriate frameworks that allow for the successful participation of local communities in management. A review of studies on MPA design and community-based marine resource management and fieldwork observations provides suggestions on how to address current socioeconomic shortcomings in MPA design and implementation, successfully involving local communities in order to provide a better local basis for effective larger MPA networks. A combination of MPA tools as the formal frame and community-based natural resource management as the adaptive core that recognizes local communities as allies, not aliens, is needed to develop successful conservation approaches.

This paper describes and analyses the process of implementing participatory community-based management (CBM) towards sustainable management of goat genetic resources in two rural communities in Southern Benin from November 2005 to February 2007. The process started with the selection of the communities. This was followed by a participatory situation analysis, identification of problems and of possible solutions, and the provisionof relevant information and training to interested farmers. It was facilitated by a multidisciplinary research team composed of a specialist in livestock production systems, a socio-economist and an agronomist. The interaction between the research team and the farmers aimed to develop and implement community led strategies towards better management and conservation of the local resources of goat. The approach adopted to facilitate the creation of representative, accountable and legal local institutions and the efforts made in ensuring their empowerment are described. It has been shown that once local people recognise the benefits of such community-based activities and are offered the relevant information and technical support, they can organize themselves effectively and take appropriate actions to better manage and conserve their local resources. The interactive nature of thisapproach allows its rapid adjustment to different local conditions and thus its replication elsewhere.

Marine sanctuaries are increasingly being promoted as tools for conservation and fisheries management. This study investigates the effects of protection over 19 years on substrate composition and fish communities in four marine sanctuaries and corresponding non-sanctuary areas in the Philippines and examines the importance of community support, management measures and enforcement of regulations on these ecological effects. Between 1981 and 2000, substrate cover variables were measured using line transects with scuba and snorkel surveys, and fish censuses (identification to family level) were conducted using scuba within a 500 m2 area. Semi-structured interviews collected data on community support for the sanctuaries, and observations and interviews established management and enforcement aspects of the sanctuaries. Over time, all sanctuaries showed improvements, or maintenance of, ecological variables compared with pre-enforcement times, with maintenance of hard coral cover and average increases of 8.3% in fish species richness and 54.9% in fish abundance. In comparison, non-sanctuary areas showed maintenance of the status quo or declines in ecological variables. However hard coral cover, fish abundances and fish species richness showed significant declines as well as increases in sanctuary areas. Community, management and enforcement factors were significantly related to positive ecological trends in sanctuary areas; management and enforcement were related to a wider variety of ecological factors than community score. Community support was significantly related to an increase in hard coral cover in deep areas. Enforcement of regulations was significantly related to an increase in abundance of fishery target fish species in sanctuary areas, and simple management measures were significantly related to an increase in abundance of large predators. Supportive communities that voluntarily implemented sanctuary regulations, improved enforcement, and small discrete cohesive communities may have facilitated the process of building this community support. Well-enforced sanctuaries that showed an increase in abundance of target species may have contributed to the maintenance of fish yields in adjacent non-sanctuary areas. The effects of sanctuary implementation varied on a case-by-case basis, influenced by environmental, biological, physical and human factors. However, a combination of community support, management measures and enforcement of regulations contributed towards positive ecological trends in sanctuary areas.

This paper illustrates the opportunity for conservation offered by linking traditional agroecological knowledge and advances in adaptive management theory and practice. Drawing on examples from the Banawa-Marawola region of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, a suite of traditional resource management practices premised on principles of adaptive management are identified and assessed, including: (1) resource management practices and regulations that are associated with the dynamics of complex systems; (2) procedural, planning and decision-making processes that foster learning; (3) sanctions and taboos that act as social mechanisms for the management and conservation of natural resources; and (4) ceremonies and social interactions that promote cultural internalization of the various practices, procedures and mechanisms. In addition, an emerging socio-political movement in the Banawa-Marawola region is explored. Premised on the strengthening of traditional rights and practices, the nascent Kamalise movement potentially provides the socio-political, institutional and organizational context needed to link traditional agroecological knowledge and adaptive management with broader conservation goals. Based on this analysis, two opportunities to enhance conservation in the region are identified: first, maintaining traditional agroecological systems and the associated adaptive resource management strategies used by local groups, and second, building upon the Kamalise movement to forge conservation alliances among communities, non-government and government organizations in which locally-evolved adaptive resource management strategies can be effectively applied. Both opportunities to combine traditional knowledge, adaptive management and conservation, however, are linked to the development aspirations of traditional groups: self-determination, acquisition of land rights and controlling the impacts of changes in livelihood.