TY - JOUR
T1 - Perception of threats and related management measures: the case of 32 marine protected areas in West Africa
AU - Failler, Pierre
AU - Touron-Gardic, Grégoire
AU - Drakeford, Ben
AU - Sadio, Oumar
AU - Traore, Marie-Suzanne
N1 - 18 months embargo. Elsevier.
NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Marine Policy. A definitive version was subsequently published in Marine Policy, (2020), DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103936
PY - 2020/7
Y1 - 2020/7
N2 - This paper presents the results of surveys conducted with managers of West African Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and focuses on the threats and the extent to which they are taken into account in the management process. The data and information derived from the surveys are used to provide a reference situation and to develop a complete inventory of threats faced by MPAs in the region. MPA managers identified unmanaged fisheries, coastal erosion, overexploitation of natural resources and pollution as the main threats to the sustainability of MPAs in the region. Climate change, although considered to be diffuse, is also a concern for managers. However, management measures are aimed (predominantly) at preventing overfishing and the overexploitation of terrestrial natural resources. Therefore, coastal erosion, pollution and climate change are only indirectly (and marginally) targeted by these management measures. Moreover, the management measures implemented i.e. monitoring, awareness raising and surveillance are insufficient and mainly aligned with the capacity of the local institutions. However, what is actually needed is more far reaching and adaptive actions to mitigate the current threats. The low financial, technical and human resources largely explain the limited scope of management actions taken. Coupled with the information and data deficit, which increases the inertia regarding threats that have been recurrent for more than a decade, management measures have not been sufficient in managing MPAs in the region. This paper recommends that the links between pressures on MPAs, technical recommendations and resulting management actions must be reinforced.
AB - This paper presents the results of surveys conducted with managers of West African Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and focuses on the threats and the extent to which they are taken into account in the management process. The data and information derived from the surveys are used to provide a reference situation and to develop a complete inventory of threats faced by MPAs in the region. MPA managers identified unmanaged fisheries, coastal erosion, overexploitation of natural resources and pollution as the main threats to the sustainability of MPAs in the region. Climate change, although considered to be diffuse, is also a concern for managers. However, management measures are aimed (predominantly) at preventing overfishing and the overexploitation of terrestrial natural resources. Therefore, coastal erosion, pollution and climate change are only indirectly (and marginally) targeted by these management measures. Moreover, the management measures implemented i.e. monitoring, awareness raising and surveillance are insufficient and mainly aligned with the capacity of the local institutions. However, what is actually needed is more far reaching and adaptive actions to mitigate the current threats. The low financial, technical and human resources largely explain the limited scope of management actions taken. Coupled with the information and data deficit, which increases the inertia regarding threats that have been recurrent for more than a decade, management measures have not been sufficient in managing MPAs in the region. This paper recommends that the links between pressures on MPAs, technical recommendations and resulting management actions must be reinforced.
KW - West Africa
KW - MPA
KW - Fishing
KW - Overexploitation
KW - Pollution
KW - Climate Change
U2 - 10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103936
DO - 10.1016/j.marpol.2020.103936
M3 - Article
SN - 0308-597X
VL - 117
JO - Marine Policy
JF - Marine Policy
M1 - 103936
ER -