First published on 06/11/2014, and last updated on 03/11/2018
By: Kim Sander Wright, ICCA Consortium Global Coordinator for Coastal, Marine and Island Environments
World Ocean’s Day, June 8th, is a good time to remember that 70 percent of our planet is ocean. Within this lives 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity and beside it, within 100 km of the coastline, live more than 2.4 billion people, more than a third of the world’s population. Globally, for one person over five, fish is the primary source of protein. For indigenous peoples and communities on the coast the connections run deep: the ocean is connected to their livelihoods, identity, culture and health. As pollution, climate change and destructive fishing practices take their toll on our ocean, protection and better management has become a necessity for both marine and coastal ecosystems and ocean-dependent indigenous peoples and communities.
Protected areas currently cover 15 percent of the world’s land area but only 2.8 percent of the ocean. The CBD Aichi Target 11 suggests that by 2020 a minimum of 10 percent of our coastal and marine areas need to be conserved through effectively and equitably managed protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are known to hold 30 percent greater biodiversity, 1.5–2 times more fish and 4-10 times more biomass than the areas outside. In addition, this biodiversity has been shown to spill over and benefit fisheries. However, when MPAs are near local communities, it is not always those communities that benefit from the spill over, as fisheries quotas get outsourced to the highest bidder leaving indigenous peoples and coastal community members disconnected from their historical livelihoods. With the loss of these connections, comes the erosion of local culture and identity. Cultural and biological diversity are inextricably linked, mutually dependent and geographically overlapping, on land and marine areas. The preservation of this bio-cultural diversity depends on the relationships and cultural practices that have historically “co-evolved” between human societies and nature.
Locally managed marine areas (LMMAs), and marine and coastal ICCAs can be designed in such a way that the livelihoods of indigenous peoples are protected and in many cases enhanced, along with biodiversity values. The key is the creation of shared governance mechanisms that support the livelihoods of indigenous peoples and local communities while ensuring the enforcement of legal and customary rules in natural resource management. And, although consciously managed MPAs and LMMAs result in higher biodiversity, also ICCAs created with other intentions, such as spiritual and cultural purposes, can do the same. At the upcoming World Parks Congress (WPC) in Sydney, Australia in November 2014, we will explore what such effective and equitable governance of the seascape looks like. I look forward to seeing you there!
