[Coral-List] Co-management at 10ICRS!

Nicholas Polunin N.Polunin at newcastle.ac.uk
Thu Nov 6 07:06:41 EST 2003


Dear coral-listers

Under increasing commercial, population and other pressures, current coastal zone management practices have widely failed to ptotect coral reefs and their resources. Fiscal issues have also raised awareness of devolution as the basis for a management alternative. This more bottom-up approach to resource governance has attracted attention in various guises, including local, customary, participatory or co-management. As a means to viable stewardship, the anticipated outcome is greater scope for sustainability, efficiency and equity of resource use. Such devolution offers potential benefits to governments and local communities, but it is hitherto unclear whether these are being achieved. One constraint is the lack of effective information exchange between the authorities, including the uptake of the relevant knowledge and perceptions. Other constraints include the demands of migratory stocks, social limits to perceptions and the pressure of human migrations and population growth. 

In the mini-symposium 'Critical appraisal of local, customary, participatory and co-management' [Theme 4], acknowledged experts and investigators will debate the origins of these management systems, as well as identifying the strengths, conflicts and challenges faced today and expected in the future of coral reef management. The questions will be how to achieve system resilience, and as to what modifications and adaptations will render management regimes successful in terms of resource sustainability and ultimately coexistence of humans and coral reefs. This will be a cross-disciplinary discussion with the likelihood of a follow-up workshop-style satellite meeting after the formal presentations. We hope to have input from: Tim Adams (SPC, New Caledonia), Richard Pollnac (URI, USA), Kenneth Ruddle (Kwansei Gakuin University, Japan), Allan Smith (CANARI, St. Lucia), Joeli Veitayaki (USP, Fiji), Alan White (Tetra Tech EM Inc., Philippines), Leah Bunce (NOAA, USA), Guy Fontenelle (ENSA, Rennes, France)

If YOU have relevant work please submit your abstract by 25 December 2003 at http://www.plando.co.jp/icrs2004/: click on 'Call for Papers' and go to 'Abstract Submission'.

Nick Polunin
Annette Muehlig-Hofmann

Marine Science & Technology, Newcastle University 
T +44 (0)191 222 6675 F - 7891
Schl www.ncl.ac.uk/marine/staff
ICEF Conf 2003 www.icef.eawag.ch/
ISRS Conf 2004 www.plando.co.jp/icrs2004
Jrnl http://uk.cambridge.org/journals/enc/



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