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Human migration and marine protected areas: insights from Vezo fishers in Madagascar

Cripps, Garth, Gardner, Charlie J. (2016) Human migration and marine protected areas: insights from Vezo fishers in Madagascar. Geoforum, 74 . pp. 49-62. ISSN 0016-7185. (doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2016.05.010) (KAR id:84418)

Abstract

Human migration may negatively impact biodiversity and is expected to increase in future, yet the phenomenon remains poorly understood by conservation managers. We conducted a mixed-methods investigation of a contemporary migration of traditional fishers in western Madagascar, a country which has been expanding its protected area system through the establishment of both strict and multiple-use sites, and critically evaluate different models of marine protected area in light of our findings. Interviews with fishers in major destination areas revealed that most migrants come from southwest Madagascar, use non-motorised vessels, and principally target sharks and sea cucumbers. Drivers of the migration include both push and pull factors (i.e. declining resource availability in areas of origin and the continued availability of lucrative resources for export to China). Traditional fisher migrants cause limited social conflict with residents and a number of environmental problems in destination areas: however artisanal fishers with motorised vessels probably represent a greater threat to marine resources than migrants, due to their greater harvesting capacity. We suggest that multiple-use arrangements may be more appropriate than strict protected areas in both source and destination areas, because they integrate the interests of migrants rather than marginalising them: however seascape-scale management provides the best approach for managing the threats and opportunities provided by the migration at the appropriate scale.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2016.05.010
Uncontrolled keywords: Community-based natural resource management, Customary institutions, Locally managed marine areas (LMMA), Population-environment relationship, Small-scale fisheries, Trade
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Human and Social Sciences > School of Anthropology and Conservation
Signature Themes: Food Systems, Natural Resources and Environment
Depositing User: Charlie Gardner
Date Deposited: 24 Nov 2020 22:20 UTC
Last Modified: 08 Dec 2022 23:12 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/84418 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Gardner, Charlie J..

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