Conserv Biol. 2021 Jun 23. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13800. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Community-level resource management efforts are cornerstones in ensuring sustainable use of natural resources. Yet, understanding how community characteristics influence management practises remains contested. This study used a large sample size (≥ 725 communities depending on analysis) of nationally collected data to assess the effects of key community characteristics (human population size and density, market integration and modernization) on the probability of occurrence of fisheries management practises including gear, species and spatial restrictions. The study was based in Solomon Islands, a Pacific Island country with a population that is highly dependent on coastal fisheries with people primarily dwelling in small communities adjacent to the coastline dispersed across six island provinces and numerous smaller islands. The relatively tight coupling of communities and adjacent fisheries resources provides a context amenable to testing theories of socioeconomic factors that explain occurrence of resource management. We present our results of binomial logistic regression models as the likelihood of management occurrence, given socioeconomic context. In contrast to prevailing views, we found a strong positive association between both human population size and market integration and the probability of occurrence across all three management practises. Human population density, however, had a dramatic negative association, and modernization a varied and limited association with occurrence of all management practises. Combined, these findings present significant opportunity for remotely predicting the occurrence of resource management practises based on key socioeconomic characteristics. The results also present opportunity for further research to understand why some communities conduct natural resource management activities when statistical patterns suggest they are not likely to, thus better understanding how some communities of people beat the odds despite adverse conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
PMID:34160100 | DOI:10.1111/cobi.13800
