Open AccessSixteen years of social and ecological dynamics reveal challenges and opportunities for adaptive management in sustaining the commons
Author(s) -
Joshua E. Cinner,
Jacqueline Lau,
Andrew G. Bauman,
David A. Feary,
Fraser A. JanuchowskiHartley,
Cristian Rojas,
Michele L. Barnes,
Brock J. Bergseth,
Edith Shum,
Rachael Lahari,
John Ben,
Nicholas A. J. Graham
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.1914812116
Subject(s) - livelihood , fishing , adaptive management , adaptive capacity , commons , natural resource management , environmental resource management , sustainability , coral reef , fisheries management , agriculture , business , ecology , climate change , natural resource , economics , biology
Significance Coral reefs provide ecosystem goods and services for millions of people, but reef health is declining worldwide and current approaches have failed to prevent losses. Adaptive approaches that reflect local social, economic, and cultural conditions are required. We conducted social and ecological research across 5 time intervals over 16 y to study the key traits of a long-enduring customary adaptive reef management system in Papua New Guinea. Resource users identified high levels of compliance, strong leadership and social cohesion, and participatory decision making among community members as key traits of a rotational fisheries closure system, which increases fish biomass and makes fish less wary (hence more catchable), relative to openly fished areas.