Community based fisheries management on Guam
Abstract
Guam, the largest and most populated island in Micronesia, is surrounded by a narrow
fringing reef that supports important cultural, subsistence and economic activities.
However, this reef system is under immense pressure from development, sedimentation,
and overharvesting. Managers lack the necessary resources to effectively address these
threats, and fisheries management in particular has proven to be exceedingly difficult.
Fishers and managers, though they do not agree on causes or solutions, both recognize
dramatic declines in many fish stocks and the need to take action to reverse this
negative trend. Community based management models offer one promising approach. This
study examines the current state of Guam’s community based management efforts and
obstacles to expanding community approaches on island. Data collected through participant
observation and key informant interviews were used to create a series of recommendations
to improve current management and move toward more community involvement in fisheries.
Recommendations include the creation of programs to reconnect residents with the marine
environment, repair of relationships between local and federal government agencies
and stakeholders, improved enforcement, and pilot projects for community management
in small village sites.
Type
Master's projectPermalink
https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6828Citation
Loerzel, Adrienne (2013). Community based fisheries management on Guam. Master's project, Duke University. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/6828.Collections
More Info
Show full item record
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Rights for Collection: Nicholas School of the Environment
Works are deposited here by their authors, and represent their research and opinions, not that of Duke University. Some materials and descriptions may include offensive content. More info