Problems and prospects of community-based resource management approach: an experience with the implementation of the ban on beach seines on Lake Kainji

Community Based Resource Management (CBRM) understood as an approach emphasizes a community's capability, responsibility and accountability with regards to managing resources. Based on the recommendations for the Nigerian-German Kainji Lake Fisheries Promotion Project (KLFPP), the Niger and Kebbi States Fisheries Edicts were promulgated in 1997. These edicts, among other things, banned the use of beach seines. Given the conviction of KLFPP, that if communities whose livelihood is linked to the fishery, understand and identify the problems and by consensus agree to the solutions of fisheries problems, they are more likely to adhere to any control measures, specifically the ban on beach seine. In 1999 a first agreement was reached between beach seiners, non-beach seiners and government authorities leading to an almost complete elimination of beach seine on the Lake Kainji. However, despite on going efforts of the Kainji Lake Fisheries Management and Conservation Unit in 2000 and possibly because of certain oversights during and after the first agreement, in May 2001 a significant number of beach seiners was observed. This led to a re-assessment of our approach, which lately culminated into another round of negotiation. The paper presents the latest results on this on-going process

Climate-related long-term faunal changes in a California rocky intertidal community [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): The effects of gradual climate change (ie, multi-decadal) on biological communities are not well understood for most natural systems, owing principally to the lack of quantitative observations in early studies. ... We resurveyed invertebrate species on an intertidal transect in central California, first established and surveyed in 1931, to assess shifts in community structure.

Cruise Report: Spring 2007 Survey of ecological conditions along the continental shelf off Florida from Anclote Key to West Palm Beach NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER NF-07-08-NCCOS (May 15 - May 28, 2007)

This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted in coastal-ocean waters off Florida from Anclote Key to West Palm Beach and from approximately 1 nautical mile (nm) offshore seaward to the shelf break (100 m). The survey was conducted May 15 - May 28, 2007 on NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER Cruise NF-07-08-NCCOS. Multiple indicators of ecological condition were sampled synoptically at each of 50 stations throughout the region including 10 stations within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS) using a random probabilistic sampling design. Samples were collected for the analysis of benthic community structure and composition; concentrations of chemical contaminants (metals, pesticides, PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs) in sediments and target demersal biota; nutrient and chlorophyll levels in the water column; and other basic habitat characteristics such as depth, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, sediment grain size, and organic carbon content. The overall purpose of the survey was to collect data to assess the status of ecological condition in coastal-ocean waters of the region, based on these various indicators, and to provide this information as a baseline for determining how environmental conditions may be changing with time. The results will be of value in helping to broaden our understanding of the status of ecological resources and their controlling factors, including impacts of potential ecosystem stressors, in such strategic coastal areas. (PDF contains 34 pages

SEDAWOG, 2000. Fisheries co-management options at Kiumba Beach: a participatory pilot study

This report represents the key output of a training workshop hosted by Lake Victoria Fisheries Research Project (LVFRP) for researchers from each of the riparian countries fisheries research institutes. The workshop aimed to train the researchers in participatory research techniques which they could use to undertake a study of community-based institutions and organizations which could potentially be involved in fisheries co-management. A central focus of the workshop was a study to identify the community-based organizations and institutions, which operated at Kiumba beach, and this study is reported here. Separate reports, which include operated at Kiumba beach and this study is reported here. Separate reports, which include details of the training process and the participatory methods used, are available (Sarch 1995, 2000). The report centers on the information generated from the participatory pilot study conducted by the workshop participants and the community at Kiumba Beach over the course of a week in March 2000. Ranges of participatory research techniques were used and the discussion and diagrams, which resulted from them, form the basis of this report. The workshop participants undertook a preliminary analysis of these findings and this has been synthesized at the end of this report. (PDF contains 55 pages)

Feeding ecology and population characteristics of Oreochromis niloticus (L.) and trophic interactions in the fish community of Nyanza Gulf, Lake Victoria, Kenya

Oreochromis niloticus (L.) were caught by beach seining, hook and line and trawling from Nyanza Gulf, lake Victoria (Kenya) in order to study their feeding ecology and population characteristics. Collected fish were weighed and TL measured immediately after capture. Fish were dissected and sexed. Stomach contents were removed and preserved in 4% buffered formalin for laboratory analysis. In the laboratory items were sorted into categories such as three quarters, half and quarter and awarded 20, 15 and 5 points respectively. Main food items for O. niloticus from November 1998 to March 1999 were insects, algae, fish and plant material. Increase in insects in the diet of O. niloticus might be attributed to the lake infestation by water hyacinth which harbours different species of insects

Climate change adaptation and planning: An example from Kailua Beach, Oahu, Hawaii

The University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program (UHSG) in partnership with the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), Office of Conservation and Coastal Lands (OCCL) is developing a beach and dune management plan for Kailua Beach on the eastern shoreline of Oahu. The objective of the plan is to develop a comprehensive beach management and land use development plan for Kailua Beach that reflects the state of scientific understanding of beach processes in Kailua Bay and abutting shoreline areas and is intended to provide long-term recommendations to adapting to climate change including potential coastal hazards such as sea level rise. The development of the plan has lead to wider recognition of the significance of projected sea level rise to the region and provides the rational behind some of the land use conservation strategies. The plan takes on a critical light given global predictions for continued, possibly accelerated, sea-level rise and the ongoing focus of intense development along the Hawaiian shoreline. Hawaii’s coastal resource managers are faced with the daunting prospect of managing the effects of erosion while simultaneously monitoring and regulating high-risk coastal development that often impacts the shoreline. The beach and dune preservation plan is the first step in a more comprehensive effort prepare for and adapt to sea level rise and ensure the preservation of the beach and dune ecosystem for the benefit of present and future generations. The Kailua Beach and Dune Management plan is intended to be the first in a series of regional plans in Hawaii to address climate change adaptation through land use planning. (PDF contains 3 pages)

Encouraging sustainable development in a coastal community: New Hanover County, North Carolina's exceptional design zoning district

While New Hanover County is the second smallest county in North Carolina, it is also the second most densely populated with approximately 850 people per square mile. Nestled between the Cape Fear River and Atlantic Ocean with surrounding barrier island beach communities, the County’s geographic location provides a prime vacation destination, as well as an ideal location for residents who wish to live at the water’s edge. Wilmington is the largest city in the County with a population just under 200,000. Most of the Wilmington metropolitan area is developed, creating intense development pressures for the remaining undeveloped land in the unincorporated County. In order to provide development opportunities for mixed use or high density projects within unincorporated New Hanover County where appropriate urban features are in place to support such projects without the negative effects of urban sprawl, County Planning Staff recently developed an Exceptional Design Zoning District (EDZD). Largely based on the LEED for Neighborhood Development program, the EDZD standards were scaled to fit the unique conditions of the County with the goal of encouraging sustainable development while providing density incentives to entice the use of the voluntary district. The incentive for the voluntary zoning district is increased density in areas where the density may not be allowed under normal circumstances. The rationale behind allowing for higher density projects is that development can be concentrated in areas where appropriate urban features are in place to support such projects, and the tendency toward urban sprawl can be minimized. With water quality being of high importance, it is perceived that higher density development will better protect water quality then lower density projects. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Long Bay hypoxia study: A collaborative and multidisciplinary approach

The nearshore waters along the Myrtle Beach area are oceanographically referred to as Long Bay. Long Bay is the last in a series of semi-circular indentations located along the South Atlantic seaboard. The Bay extends for approximately 150 km from the Cape Fear River in North Carolina to Winyah Bay in South Carolina and has a number of small inlets (Figure 1). This region of the S.C. coast, commonly referred to as the “Grand Strand,” has a significant tourism base that accounts for a substantial portion of the South Carolina economy (i.e., 40% of the state’s total in 2002) (TIAA 2003). In 2004, the Grand Strand had an estimated 13.2 million visitors of which 90% went to the beach (MBCC 2006). In addition, Long Bay supports a shore-based hook and line fishery comprised of anglers fishing from recreational fishing piers, the beach, and small recreational boats just offshore. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Littoral vegetation of Lake Tohopekaliga: community descriptions prior to a large-scale fisheries habitat-enhancement project

An extreme dry-down and muck-removal project was conducted at Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida, in 2003-2004, to remove dense vegetation from inshore areas and improve habitat degraded by stabilized water levels. Vegetation was monitored from June 2002 to December 2003, to describe the pre-existing communities in terms of composition and distribution along the environmental gradients. Three study areas (Treatment-Selection Sites) were designed to test the efficacy of different treatments in enhancing inshore habitat, and five other study areas (Whole-Lake Monitoring Sites) were designed to monitor the responses of the emergent littoral vegetation as a whole. Five general community types were identified within the study areas by recording aboveground biomasses and stem densities of each species. These communities were distributed along water and soils gradients, with water depth and bulk density explaining most of the variation. The shallowest depths were dominated by a combination of Eleocharis spp., Luziola fluitans, and Panicum repens; while the deeper areas had communities of Nymphaea odorata and Nuphar luteum; Typha spp.; or Paspalidium geminatum and Hydrilla verticillata. Mineralized soils were common in both the shallow and deep-water communities, while the intermediate depths had high percentages of organic material in the soil. These intermediate depths (occurring just above and just below low pool stage) were dominated by Pontederia cordata, the main species targeted by the habitat enhancement project. This emergent community occurred in nearly monocultural bands around the lake (from roughly 60–120 cm in depth at high pool stage) often having more diverse floating mats along the deep-water edge. The organic barrier these mats create is believed to impede access of sport fish to shallow-water spawning areas, while the overall low diversity of the community is evidence of its competitive nature in stabilized waters. With continued monitoring of these study areas long-term effects of the restoration project can be assessed and predictive models may be created to determine the efficacy and legitimacy of such projects in the future.

Report of the PRA carried out at Ihale Beach, Tanzania, April 11-14, 2000

Ihale is a large landing site lying approximately 65 km. from Mwanza along the main Mwanza-Musoma highway. Ihale Beach was selected as a potential candidate for the 3-beaches study because of its proximity to Mwanza, and hence suitability for frequent monitoring; and because it is served by a road accessible during the rainy seasons. As with the first training Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) on Kiumba Beach on Kenya's Rusinga Island, the objectives with this PRA were as follows: (a) To identify and understand Ihale's community-based organizations and institutions which have a role in the lake's fishery. (b) To consider the key issues which arise from this study for the involvement of communities and community-based organizations and/or institutions such as those at Ihale Beach, in the co-management of Lake Victoria's fishery.

Report of the PRA carried out at Mwasonge Beach, Tanzania, October 23rd - November 3rd, 2000

This paper comprises part of the so-called "3-beaches Survey" of the LVFRP. In Tanzania, this study has developed to examine two landing sites (Mwasonge and Ihale), and to chart the progress of the newly established Beach Management Units (BMU) at each beach, comparing one BMU against the other. The over-arching objective of this survey was to develop an understanding of the context in which Mwasonge's fishery exists. The study does so by examining the community's history, culture and beliefs, various other socio-cultural factors, their resources, society and economy, wealth and the community's perceptions of wealth. Importantly, the survey examines the community's institutions and its perceptions of fishing rules and changes within the fishery. All of these facets of community life are examined with the use of participatory Rural Appraisal tools, and the images that the study generated are reproduced herein.

Changes in a benthic megafaunal community due to disturbance from bottom fishing and the establishment of a fishery closure

Trawling and dredging on Georges Bank (northwest Atlantic Ocean) have altered the cover of colonial epifauna, as surveyed through in situ photography. A total of 454 photographs were analyzed from areas with gravel substrate between 1994 and 2000 at depths of 40–50 m and 80–90 m. The cover of hydroids, bushy bryozoans, sponges, and tubeworms was generally higher at sites undisturbed by fishing than at sites classified as disturbed. The magnitude and significance of this effect depended on depth and year. Encrusting bryozoans were the only type of colonial epifauna positively affected by bottom fishing. Species richness of noncolonial epifauna declined with increased bottom fishing, but Simpson’s index of diversity typically peaked at intermediate levels of habitat disturbance. Species that were more abundant at undisturbed sites possessed characteristics that made them vulnerable to bottom fishing. These characteristics include emergent growth forms, soft body parts, low motility, use of complex microhabitats, long life spans, slow growth, and larval dispersal over short distances. After the prohibition of bottom fishing at one site, both colonial and noncolonial species increased in abundance. Populations of most taxa took two years or more to increase after the fishing closure. This finding indicates that bottom fishing needs to be reduced to infrequent intervals to sustain the benthic species composition of Georges Bank at a high level of biodiversity and abundance.

Ichthyoplankton community in the Columbia River plume off Oregon: effects of fluctuating oceanographic conditions

Ichthyoplankton samples were collected at approximately 2-week intervals, primarily during spring and summer 1999−2004, from two stations located 20 and 30 km from shore near the Columbia River, Oregon. Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) was the most abundant species collected, and was the primary species associated with summer upwelling conditions, but it showed significant interannual and seasonal fluctuations in abundance and occurrence. Other abundant taxa included sanddabs (Citharichthys spp.), English sole (Parophrys vetulus), and blacksmelts (Bathylagidae). Two-way cluster analysis revealed strong species associations based primarily on season (before or after the spring transition date). Ichthyoplankton abundances were compared to biological and environmental data, and egg and larvae abundances were found to be most correlated with sea surface temperature. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation changed sign (from negative to positive) in late 2002 and indicated overall warmer conditions in the North Pacific Ocean. Climate change is expected to alter ocean upwelling, temperatures, and Columbia River flows, and consequently fish eggs and larvae distributions and survival. Long-term research is needed to identify how ichthyoplankton and fish recruitment are affected by regional and largescale oceanographic proces

Co-management of beach seine fisheries in Mozambique: a case study

In Mozambique, compliance with regulations in beach seines fishery is improved when the fishers themselves choose the season the government will declare closed. Beneficial side effects of co-management include a stronger sense of community and individual responsibility toward the common good. This article reports on a case study of fisheries co-management in the community of Inhassoro in the northern part of the province of Inhambane, about 800 km north of the capital of Mozambique, Maputo.