223
12 Marine Protected Areas in the Canary Islands – Improving Their Governability
to preserve the ecosystem, excluding the human side and traditional extractive
activities. In other cases, the proposal may be to substitute artisanal fi shing activities
with non-consumptive uses, such as scuba diving, or to inhibit any human activity
in the area. It is, however, also possible to identify examples of MPAs designed and
implemented in support of artisanal fi sheries and to ensure their sustainable development (Kalikoski and Vasconcellos 2008 ; Pascual Fernández and De la Cruz
Modino 2008, 2011 ) . MPAs may reinforce or create new territorial use rights. For
that reason, we argue that MPAs may improve local fi shing management conditions
when they are locally-driven and when the sea and natural resource protection
policies generate some kind of community-based response rather than a simple,
imposed tool. The examples of the Eastport MPA in Canada (Charles and Wilson
2009 ) and the Actam Chuleb Marine Reserve in Mexico (Chuenpagdee et al. 2002 )
illustrate the huge and diverse advantages of MPAs initiated by local communities
in comparison to others that are introduced and imposed externally. This trend has
been increasing of late, with the involvement and demands of traditional users,
such as artisanal fi shers, requesting the implementation of marine reserves.
Frequently, they want to ensure the sustainability of fi shing activities and avoid the
pitfalls of rising numbers of other users, such as recreational fi shers and intensive
trawlers, taking control of the area and jeopardizing the viability of traditional
activities. In Spain, many of the latest proposals for Marine Reserves (MRs) have
been designed for this purpose by local fi shers’ organizations in partnership with
biologists and social scientists. Some of these initiatives have learned precisely
from the inception process of La Restinga MPA.
What is remarkable about the case study of La Restinga (Canary Islands, Spain)
is that MPAs may represent a way of retaining control of resources in the hands of
local fi shers and their institutions by excluding any new entrant considered a threat
to the health of the ecosystem or to the fi shers’ livelihood (Pascual-Fernandez and
De la Cruz Modino 2011 ) . This chapter begins by re fl ecting on the historical and
legal context of MPAs in Spain, and the speci fi c conditions that favor the involvement of fi shers’ organizations in their governance. It is followed by a general
description of the Canary Islands and the analysis of the fi shing community of La
Restinga, in the south of El Hierro, where the MR was established in 1996. Taking
into account the diversity, complexity, dynamics and scale framework provided by
the governability theory, we provide a detailed description of some of the historical,
economic and general traits of this area, as well as the speci fi c situation and challenges faced by the local community at the moment of MR inception (Jentoft 2007 ;
Jentoft et al. 2007 ) . We develop a summarized analysis of the creation process and
comment on how this MR has increased governability in the area in the discussion
and conclusion. We demonstrate how the MR has enabled the community to clearly
in fl uence the control of local resources and economic activities, contributing to
local empowerment and the slow and controlled pace of local development that
favors local people. In this sense, it has increased the capacity of the community to
cope with their most urgent concerns, thereby increasing governability (Jentoft
2007 ) .
12 Marine Protected Areas in the Canary Islands – Improving Their Governability
to preserve the ecosystem, excluding the human side and traditional extractive
activities. In other cases, the proposal may be to substitute artisanal fi shing activities
with non-consumptive uses, such as scuba diving, or to inhibit any human activity
in the area. It is, however, also possible to identify examples of MPAs designed and
implemented in support of artisanal fi sheries and to ensure their sustainable development (Kalikoski and Vasconcellos 2008 ; Pascual Fernández and De la Cruz
Modino 2008, 2011 ) . MPAs may reinforce or create new territorial use rights. For
that reason, we argue that MPAs may improve local fi shing management conditions
when they are locally-driven and when the sea and natural resource protection
policies generate some kind of community-based response rather than a simple,
imposed tool. The examples of the Eastport MPA in Canada (Charles and Wilson
2009 ) and the Actam Chuleb Marine Reserve in Mexico (Chuenpagdee et al. 2002 )
illustrate the huge and diverse advantages of MPAs initiated by local communities
in comparison to others that are introduced and imposed externally. This trend has
been increasing of late, with the involvement and demands of traditional users,
such as artisanal fi shers, requesting the implementation of marine reserves.
Frequently, they want to ensure the sustainability of fi shing activities and avoid the
pitfalls of rising numbers of other users, such as recreational fi shers and intensive
trawlers, taking control of the area and jeopardizing the viability of traditional
activities. In Spain, many of the latest proposals for Marine Reserves (MRs) have
been designed for this purpose by local fi shers’ organizations in partnership with
biologists and social scientists. Some of these initiatives have learned precisely
from the inception process of La Restinga MPA.
What is remarkable about the case study of La Restinga (Canary Islands, Spain)
is that MPAs may represent a way of retaining control of resources in the hands of
local fi shers and their institutions by excluding any new entrant considered a threat
to the health of the ecosystem or to the fi shers’ livelihood (Pascual-Fernandez and
De la Cruz Modino 2011 ) . This chapter begins by re fl ecting on the historical and
legal context of MPAs in Spain, and the speci fi c conditions that favor the involvement of fi shers’ organizations in their governance. It is followed by a general
description of the Canary Islands and the analysis of the fi shing community of La
Restinga, in the south of El Hierro, where the MR was established in 1996. Taking
into account the diversity, complexity, dynamics and scale framework provided by
the governability theory, we provide a detailed description of some of the historical,
economic and general traits of this area, as well as the speci fi c situation and challenges faced by the local community at the moment of MR inception (Jentoft 2007 ;
Jentoft et al. 2007 ) . We develop a summarized analysis of the creation process and
comment on how this MR has increased governability in the area in the discussion
and conclusion. We demonstrate how the MR has enabled the community to clearly
in fl uence the control of local resources and economic activities, contributing to
local empowerment and the slow and controlled pace of local development that
favors local people. In this sense, it has increased the capacity of the community to
cope with their most urgent concerns, thereby increasing governability (Jentoft
2007 ) .