Coral reef livelihoods

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Highlights

  • Some six million people depend on coral reef fisheries for their livelihood.

  • Efforts to reduce dependence on coral reef fisheries often result in failure or perverse outcomes.

  • Emerging social science research illustrates the complexities of coral reef livelihoods.

  • Coral reefs contribute to people's identity, lifestyle, and social norms.

  • Increasing livelihood diversification does not always mean people will fish less.

Coral reefs support the livelihoods of millions of people, overwhelmingly in developing countries. As reefs become increasingly overfished, scientists and managers frequently suggest that dependence on reef fisheries needs to be reduced. Yet, attempts to do so often fail spectacularly and even result in perverse outcomes because the nature of coral reef livelihoods is often poorly understood. Here, I discuss two emerging threads of social science research that are helping to better shape our understanding about coral reef livelihoods. First is a growing appreciation of the non-material benefits that coral reef fisheries provide to people. Coral reefs contribute to people's identity, lifestyle, and social norms, which create a strong attachment to fishing that can keep people in a fishery. Second, a growing body of research is exploring the role of livelihood diversity in collectively organizing to solve overfishing, complying with fisheries and protected area management, fishing intensity, and willingness to exit the fishery. Importantly, current theory and empirical research does not always support the notion that diversification of livelihoods will lead to reduced fishing effort or lower environmental impacts on coral reefs.

Section snippets

Economic and food security benefits of coral reefs

Globally, coral reefs provide tropical coastal societies with critical economic, livelihood, and food security benefits. Global estimates suggest that reefs provide some $375 billion worth of goods and services [1]. Much of this value is derived from support for substantial tourism markets for diving and snorkeling, shoreline protection, and, of course, fisheries [2].

There are some six million people, overwhelmingly in developing countries, who depend on coral reef fisheries for their

Attachments to fishing: lifestyle and identity

For those who make their living from the sea, giving up fishing is rarely a desirable prospect because they are often attached to more than simply the material economic value generated by the activity [16]. Many analytical and conceptual models assume that profit is the main motivation behind fishing and that people will stop fishing when it becomes unprofitable. However, reef fisheries not only provide income and subsistence needs for people, but can also contribute to their cultural or

Livelihood diversification in coastal communities

Livelihood diversification refers to the fact that people, particularly in poor rural areas, often employ a range of strategies to meet their financial, social, and cultural needs. In many coastal areas, fisheries form part of diverse household livelihood portfolios [26, 27, 28, 29•]. Unraveling the causes, and consequences, of livelihood diversification is critical to understanding the important role that coral reef fisheries play in coastal societies. Livelihood diversification is often part

A future research agenda for coral reef-dependent livelihoods

Coral reef-dependent livelihoods operate at the intersection of complex ecological, environmental, and social processes. In this article, I have highlighted some of the emerging social science research on key aspects of why people fish, and remain in the fishery even as stocks and profits decline below economic viability. However, these issues are often not considered by donors, managers and policy-makers when developing policies aimed at reducing fishing pressure, which is why many such

Conclusions

Livelihood-related issues, such as people's attachment to fishing and the diversity of their livelihood portfolios, have profound implications for the conservation and sustainable use of coral reefs. Yet, there is surprisingly little research that has focused on understanding reef-dependent livelihoods. What we do know is complex and sometimes counterintuitive. The common narrative in marine conservation is that reefs would be more sustainable if less people used them, thus we should seek to

References and recommended reading

Papers of particular interest, published within the period of review, have been highlighted as:

  • • of special interest

  • •• of outstanding interest

Acknowledgements

Support was provided by the Australia Research Council. Thanks to C. Barrett, C. Hicks, N. Marshall, and J. Kittinger for helpful comments on an early version of this manuscript.

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