Contested models of marine protected area (MPA) governance : a case study of the Cayos Cochinos, Honduras

Abstract

Co-management arrangements are increasingly seen as necessary to promote the compliance of local user groups with natural resource conservation regulations. Nonetheless, co-management needs to be flexible to respond to fast-changing variables at the local scale, and adaptive co-management (ACM) has been developed to provide that flexibility. Since 2004, ACM has been applied to manage the natural marine resources of the Cayos Cochinos Marine Protected Area (CCMPA) on the north coast of Honduras, and has now evolved through two cycles (2004-2008; 2008-2013). This thesis examines the appropriateness of ACM to manage the artisanal fishery resources of the CCMPA, using socio-economic, ecological and governance indicators to evaluate the contributions made by local Garifuna fishing communities (micro-scale), the managing NGO (meso-scale), and the State (macro-scale). To achieve this aim, three main objectives were set: first, to evaluate the ecological impact of the ACM, particularly its effect on fish stocks; second, to measure the socio-economic consequences of the ACM; and third, to estimate the extent to which the principles of adaptive co-management were adhered to. The main conclusion of the study was that the first CCMPA management plan (2004-2008) failed to deliver significant benefits on any of these three criteria, but that the second plan (2008-2013) has already begun to achieve ecological recovery of shellfish species, higher standards of living, and consultative stakeholder participation. The reason for this turnaround was political pressure from the Garifuna in protest at the filming of a controversial reality show within the CCMPA, leading to a more socially adaptive plan. However, this second plan continues to have some weaknesses, including incomplete ecological monitoring, financial and personnel instability, lack of transparency, and insufficient capacity development to allow genuine stakeholder participation. Recommendations for overcoming these deficiencies are: (1) consistent methodologies for monitoring ecological, socio-economic and governance indicators; (2) financial and decision-making transparency; (3) community education; and (4) micro-scale capacity training.