15: Jose Cabal-Ugaz, Team 89: Case Study-Peru
So my uncle in charge of managing protected areas in Peru sent me two case studies which he worked on in the past few years.
Proposal #1: Set aside a series of islands which parallel the coast and their surrounding waters as a marine reserve.
The islands are home to a diverse array of land and water species alike, as well as to guano, among the best fertilizers in the world.
El Niño is a weather phenomenon which brings a warm air current to the Pacific coast every so often, causing disruption in fishing waters. As the waters warm up, marine species migrate toward colder waters, something found along the islands. If they are set up as a protected area, many marine species will be able to seek refuge there and thus the damage will not be as devastating. This will preserve the fish population even in times when the weather phenomenon hits.
Right now, these areas are under state control and tourism is not permitted in the area. The idea behind the plan also involves finding out how to attract tourism to the islands and their surroundings (ecoturism) while causing minimum disruption to the ecosystem. Possible tourist activities: birdwatching, scuba diving, island visits. The latter is currently done in southern Peru, with visits to the Ballestas Islands, a very profitable enterprise because of the large number of people, especially tourists, who want to see the diverse array of animals on and around the islands.
This is the most feasible plan to even begin to protect Peru's waters. Limits on fishing, licenses, permits, etc. will not work there due to the nature of the lower class which tends to ignore or stretch to the limit whatever government tells them to do. Rather, it is better to just close off certain waters to fishing, something that has already been proven effective in the country with the Paracas MPA, established in 1975 to conserve biodiversity in the south-central waters.
Proposal #2: Set aside a portion of northern Peru's waters, bordering the northernmost two provinces as a marine reserve.
Three currents of air converge in northern Peru:
Equatorial Current
Humboldt Current
Anti-Current
These currents affect the migratory patterns of marine species, causing them to converge in the area, which explains the amazing quantity of marine species in the area. Not surprisingly, it is also home to the largest number of small scale fishers in the country.
Not enough research has been done in the area, and it has been proposed that a Marine Research Station be built in the area to conduct studies of the ecosystem.
----
These two proposals are feasible because they shut off waters of maximum output. This initially may lead to economic loss, which is why the plans are stalled as of now, but the waters hold the potential for most rapidly increasing the fish population to stable levels.
Wiki page: Click Here
(The case studies are attachments on the wiki but they're in Spanish. Buena Suerte!)
14 Team 89: MPAs and Research
In trying to find ways to gain revenue from the MPA itself. I was looking through some scientific journal web pages and found that there are associations for various fields in science. (sorry if this is common knowledge because it seems like a possible new angle for both education and funding) The example I found was of applied geoscience. Now what I propose is to follow similar guidlines as this association has in place. I took this off their "about the organization" web page:
Founded in 1970, the Association of Applied Geochemists is an international organisation specialising in the field of applied geochemistry whose purpose is to:
- Advance the science of geochemistry as it relates to exploration and the environment
- Further the common interests of exploration geochemists
- Facilitate the acquisition and distribution of scientific knowledge
- Promote exchange of information
- Encourage research and development
- Advance the status of the profession
- Sponsor symposia, seminars and technical meetings
To achieve these goals, the Association of Applied Geochemists:
- published the Journal of Geochemical Exploration from 1972 until 2000, and currently publishesGEOCHEMISTRY: Exploration, Environment, Analysis starting in 2001
- publishes quarterly a newsletter, EXPLORE
- publishes in a digital format a bibliography of geochemically oriented papers, now available to AAG Members on the ASSOCIATION OF APPLIED GEOCHEMISTS web page
- holds biennial International Geochemical Exploration Symposia with associated field trips
- holds regional meetings of specialised interest and co-sponsors meetings with other scientific societies
- organises workshops and short courses
- supports a student paper prize
- supports a distinguished lecture series
Creating an organization that would foster research and gain revenue from journal subscriptions and membership fees (this example has $100.00 dues each year this includes journal subscription) seems like a great way to not only promote education which we feel is essential but also to get started in funding further research or implementation devices such as MPA to try to attain sustainable fisheries.
Ideally the research procured in the MPA would be published in this centralized scientific journal. The money from the subscription and membership fees would go towards maintaining the MPA that the research would come from. This could also be done by taking a scientific journal that already exists expanding it and setting the profits up to go to the MPA.
This is where I found information on the example I think we could model a new organization off of: http://www.appliedgeochemists.org/\\
7 Alex T. Vai, et. al.: October 31st
Fair Trade Fish (Better Name Pending)
One of our biggest problems is getting the general public to care about the issue of the oceans in the first place.
We know that there do exist sustainable, well-run fisheries in the world (Alaskan Pollock, for instance). If sustainable seafood were marketed as such, the consumer would have a concrete way to make an environmental difference, while getting a likely superior product at a comparable price.
A formalized certification and marketing process seems like a logical extension of existing programs, such as the Monterey Bay Aquariums "Seafood Watch List"
Many of you may be aware of the hype surrounding "Fair Trade Coffee" (the namesake), "EnergyStar," or the "Organic Foods" movement. If similar popular support can be generated regarding sustainable fishing, there would be significant economic pressure to make fisheries more sustainable. There could be a marketing campaign for people to only buy fish marked with a "Gold Star for Sustainability."
This could also be a boon for corporations seeking to improve their public image (i.e. "We serve only Sustainable Fish").
In terms of the actual "fair trade" portion, if fishermen could receive better prices for high-quality, sustainably caught fish, they would be far more motivated to fish sustainably than through traditional management. (Consider, for example, the proliferation of environmentally friendly "shade-grown" coffee in Latin America.
Some Challenges:
Some degree of marketing studies would be needed to see how much of a price increase a consumer is willing to tolerate for sustainability (see Toyota Prius). However, I contend that a certification process does not necessarily mean higher prices. I argue that the average consumer would select a sustainable product, if other factors are relatively equal.
I acknowledge that this is plan uniquely targeted at Developed Countries, but also consider that the majority of environmental damage is caused by such countries.
This would require the creation of Representative, Interdisciplinary "Council" to act as a certification body, and the development of standards for "sustainable fisheries." Note that, such standards already exist in some form in the US, they merely need to be formalized and centralized for maximum effectiveness.
6 Team 8,9: October 31st
(Note: You can read the details and supporting analysis in the text if you like, but the actual recommendations are included in the Abstract and the Key Proposals sections.)
A Plan Regarding Marine Protected Areas
Abstract: We assert that the establishment and operation of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) is a viable and effective, albeit incomplete, means of protecting, rebuilding, and sustaining the world's marine resources. In accordance with the goals of Mission 2011, MPAs are an ecosystem-based approach to marine management. MPAs currently in operation unequivocally demonstrate that reductions human impacts allow ecosystems to return to a healthier, more natural state. We will also demonstrate other advantages of MPAs, both alone and relative to other management strategies. Given such benefits, the primary challenge is to expand MPA coverage to a globally significant scale, while at the same time maintaining the support of various stakeholder groups. In this solution, we will first propose a broadly applicable scheme for establishing MPAs, and then discuss some issues regarding their operation.
Key Proposals:
I. Aim to cover 10% of the global oceans with No-Take Reserves within a reasonable time-frame
A. This scale provides a balance between ecological effectiveness and acceptability
1. 20 - 30% may be better, but is increasingly implausible
B. This is comparable to the scale of protected Land Areas
C. To be used in conjunction with other degrees of protection and other management strategies in the remaining area
II. General Principles for Area Selection
A. Must be representative selection of habitats
B. Multiple examples of similar habitats need to be protected
C. Individual Areas can be small, but they must be "networked" larger scales
III. Implementation Logistics
A. International Vision...National and Local Action
1. National mandate must be supported by strong legislation, national budgeting
2. Nations could adapted existing infrastructure from land-based conservation to MPAs
IV. Public Support and Education
A. Use MPAs as a tool to increase ocean literacy and awareness of general public
B. Can be used directly as an educational tool
Benefits of Marine Protected Areas:
One of the best known and longest established MPAs is the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park off the coast of Australia. Studies in no-take areas of the park by Evans and Russ show dramatic increases in the biomass fished species, as compared to fished areas.[1] There are also clear indications of generally improved ecosystem health.[2] There is also evidence of a so-called "spillover effect" whereby the benefits of the MPA extend beyond park boundaries.[3] Ecologically successful implementation of MPAs is well documented scientific literature, and has been shown possible in a wide variety of marine environments.
Marine Protected Areas, and in particular, no-take marine reserves, possess attributes that set them apart from traditional marine management Since they are ecosystem-based, they do not require large amounts of species-specific, qualitative data to be effective, a significant flaw of traditional management. Fundamentally, MPAs are proactive, rather than reactive; they provide a buffer and "insurance policy" against inaccuracies in science and policy. Furthermore, by maintaining or restoring natural systems, MPAs provide a valuable scientific "baseline" or "control" to better judge activities outside of their boundaries. Also well established are the positive role of MPAs in education, tourism, recreation, and critical ecosystem services.
The challenge:
As it stands today, roughly 0.7% of the world ocean is protected in some way (in contrast 11.5% of land areas re protected in some way).[4] THIS IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH to have a globally significant impact. Furthermore, the rate at which the MPAs are growing is far lower than the human ability to exploit the oceans. Hence, the challenge is to expand coverage to a more significant level, as quickly as possible, while limiting the impact on human culture and economics.
The Goal and Plan:
A reasonable middle ground will be to aim for 10% coverage of the world oceans with no-take areas. This is comparable to global protected land areas, would likely be enough to make a substantial impact, and could still remain palatable for fishers, etc. The principle behind a conservative goal, is that it is one for which widespread support would be possible with the appropriate motivations. Also, having a well-defined, conservative goal makes it clear that there is no attempt to radically restructure the way the business is carried out on the seas; in contrast, the MPA proposal is designed to preserve and protect the seagoing cultures and ways of life that have existed for many generations. Most important is the acknowledgement that an inflexible attitude toward the creation of MPAs is counterproductive. This 10% target attempts to be sensitive to socio-economic concerns, as well as biological and ecological concerns.[5]
In areas outside of the no-take zones, lesser restrictions will almost certainly be necessary. Traditional management schemes, such as gear restrictions, quotas, or days-at-sea limitations, are all possibilities. In any case, it is important to note that the intent is for MPAs to work in conjunction with other management schemes.
How to Choose Locations for MPAs:
Given the limited coverage area, clear thought must be given to maximizing the influence of each unit. We reiterate that the size of individual sanctuaries is not the most important matter, but rather the global scale of coverage. Within the proposed 10%, a representative sample of habitats and ecosystems should be protected. Furthermore, multiple examples of each habitat should be protected to insure against localized disturbances. Finally, individual MPAs should be located in mutually reinforcing "networks," to maximize their influence.
Although the MPAs in this proposal are intended to protect entire ecosystems, we acknowledge that there are secondary biological or economic situations in which a certain organism is of particular importance. In such cases, an understanding of the relevant biology and ecology can, for example, allow key life stages or migration routes to be protected by careful placement of reserves. A land-based analogy may be the protection of bird nesting sites and reserves for migratory birds, respectively.[6]
Implementation:
In principle, there is nothing wrong with an international approach to marine management. Indeed, if some international organization can provide a "vision" and moral support, it would be extremely beneficial. However, the details of implementation can most effectively be handled on a more local or regional basis. States have the established legislative and financial machinery to mandate and fund the creation of MPAs, something lacked by virtually all current International bodies. Even more practically, there is the sovereignty issue of direct enforcement in territorial waters.
Also consider that many nations have preexisting infrastructure related land-based conservation areas that can be expanded and adapted to meet the needs of running MPAs. Using the United Statesas an example, National Legislation such as the National Marine Sanctuaries Act can be strengthened, to streamline the process for the creation of new MPAs, to explicitly mandate their creation, and to provide for budget appropriations therein.[7] The scope of existing enforcement agencies, such as the National Park Service can be expanded to cover MPAs. Their mandate can be greatly assisted by technological solutions, such as satellite-based remote sensing, etc.
[1] Evans, RD; Russ, GR. "Larger biomass of targeted reef fish in no-take marine reserves on the Great Barrier Reef." Aquatic Conservation. 14 (5) : 505-519.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Russ, GR; Alcala, AC; Maypa, AP. "Spilloverfrom marine reserves: The case of Naso vlamingii at ApoIsland, The Philippines" Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser., Vol. 264, pp. 15-20. 2003.
[4] D. Pauly. Lecture. and UNEP World Database on Protected Areas. <http://www.unep-wcmc.org/wdpa/>.
[5] Agardy T., et. al. "Ideological Clashes around marine protected areas." Aquatic Conservation 13(4): 353-367.
[6]Guenette, S; Pitcher, TJ; Walters, CJ. "The Potential of Marine Reserves for the management of northern cod in Newfoundland." Bulletin of Marine Science, 66(3): 831-852, 2000.
[7] 16 United States Code § 1431