583
13 Conclusion
vessel monitoring system (Australia), sales bans combined with a public campaign
to discourage people eating protected species (Bahamas) or stricter penalties and a
fully engaged judiciary that commits to follow through on violations of the law.
Detailed information on aggregation timing may assist in focusing enforcement
needs over very short periods.
Another major challenge is to establish long-term monitoring programmes to
demonstrate the outcomes of management, and adjust measures as necessary. This
requires robust sampling protocols that consistently produce meaningful numbers and
long-term commitment to fund these activities as well as to ensure that information gets
back to stakeholders. Monitoring that involves teams of workers means a presence
on the aggregation site, is excellent for training and raising awareness and provides
information that can be discussed and used for management planning. Long-term
monitoring does not have to be annually based but, done regularly and expertly, serves
to increase the understanding of the effects of management and maintain interest.
The bringing together of science and LEK is critically important for placing
observations in a broad context and for framing management in a way that is both
acceptable and meaningful. Where LEK is well-developed and an important cultural
driver, documenting LEK regarding the presence of FSAs or changes in landings
from FSAs is important for reinforcing what people have already experienced.
A biological understanding of aggregations can help communities make sense of
what they have directly witnessed, or learned from tradition. LEK is far more likely
to be taken seriously by conservationists, scientists and managers, and be useful
for management if validated (for example for specifi c timing of spawning), and
scientists are more likely to be taken seriously if what they say harmonizes with
local understanding. Attention attracted by the plight of aggregations can even lead to
much broader initiatives and act as a catalyst for communities to come together to
discuss marine management and conservation issues in general. Locally focused
fi lms about aggregations have attracted attention in many countries and are a valuable
educational tool.
Looking ahead, management success brings with it new challenges. When management leads to better catches or more fi sh being seen by divers on aggregations, this
will almost inevitably lead to pressure to reopen closed aggregation-fi sheries. This is
an area that needs considerable forward planning and discussion to establish an overall
philosophy with respect to key reproductive gatherings, taking account of the species
through to the ecosystem perspective. Given increasing pressure on fi sheries resources
and the critical role that aggregations play in maintaining vulnerable fi shed species,
it is likely that the greatest benefi t would be to close them to fi shing altogether (as long
as there is a non-aggregation fi shery involved). We believe, based on the weight of
evidence to date, that, unless aggregations are fi shed for limited subsistence use only,
they are unlikely to be sustained without consi derable management intervention.
Clearly, we need to shift our perspective, recognizing that the greatest value of
aggregations is in the young they produce; the ‘interest’ derived from the spawning
adults, the ‘capital’. Protected aggregations may mean much more productive fi sheries overall and year-round. Education, especially to young fi shers, conservation
workers and budding fi shery staff, is needed to communicate the notions of ‘shifting
13 Conclusion
vessel monitoring system (Australia), sales bans combined with a public campaign
to discourage people eating protected species (Bahamas) or stricter penalties and a
fully engaged judiciary that commits to follow through on violations of the law.
Detailed information on aggregation timing may assist in focusing enforcement
needs over very short periods.
Another major challenge is to establish long-term monitoring programmes to
demonstrate the outcomes of management, and adjust measures as necessary. This
requires robust sampling protocols that consistently produce meaningful numbers and
long-term commitment to fund these activities as well as to ensure that information gets
back to stakeholders. Monitoring that involves teams of workers means a presence
on the aggregation site, is excellent for training and raising awareness and provides
information that can be discussed and used for management planning. Long-term
monitoring does not have to be annually based but, done regularly and expertly, serves
to increase the understanding of the effects of management and maintain interest.
The bringing together of science and LEK is critically important for placing
observations in a broad context and for framing management in a way that is both
acceptable and meaningful. Where LEK is well-developed and an important cultural
driver, documenting LEK regarding the presence of FSAs or changes in landings
from FSAs is important for reinforcing what people have already experienced.
A biological understanding of aggregations can help communities make sense of
what they have directly witnessed, or learned from tradition. LEK is far more likely
to be taken seriously by conservationists, scientists and managers, and be useful
for management if validated (for example for specifi c timing of spawning), and
scientists are more likely to be taken seriously if what they say harmonizes with
local understanding. Attention attracted by the plight of aggregations can even lead to
much broader initiatives and act as a catalyst for communities to come together to
discuss marine management and conservation issues in general. Locally focused
fi lms about aggregations have attracted attention in many countries and are a valuable
educational tool.
Looking ahead, management success brings with it new challenges. When management leads to better catches or more fi sh being seen by divers on aggregations, this
will almost inevitably lead to pressure to reopen closed aggregation-fi sheries. This is
an area that needs considerable forward planning and discussion to establish an overall
philosophy with respect to key reproductive gatherings, taking account of the species
through to the ecosystem perspective. Given increasing pressure on fi sheries resources
and the critical role that aggregations play in maintaining vulnerable fi shed species,
it is likely that the greatest benefi t would be to close them to fi shing altogether (as long
as there is a non-aggregation fi shery involved). We believe, based on the weight of
evidence to date, that, unless aggregations are fi shed for limited subsistence use only,
they are unlikely to be sustained without consi derable management intervention.
Clearly, we need to shift our perspective, recognizing that the greatest value of
aggregations is in the young they produce; the ‘interest’ derived from the spawning
adults, the ‘capital’. Protected aggregations may mean much more productive fi sheries overall and year-round. Education, especially to young fi shers, conservation
workers and budding fi shery staff, is needed to communicate the notions of ‘shifting