Sustainable financing of a national Marine Protected Area network in Fiji

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Sustainable financing of a national Marine Protected Area network in Fiji

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Title: Sustainable financing of a national Marine Protected Area network in Fiji
Author/Creator: Ison, Sierra | Hills, Jeremy M | Morris, Cherie | Stead, Selina M
Description: Marine Protected Areas (MPA) are mostly studied from an environmental context. A review of available information identified a lack of knowledge in sustainable mechanisms to finance MPA networks. At the United Nations Ocean Conference in 2017, Fiji reaffirmed its voluntary commitment to make 30% of its inshore and offshore marine area MPAs by 2020 under Sustainable Development Goal 14. The work presented here uses empirical data to explore potential benefits from selected community-based MPAs to recipient local stakeholders. A Willingness to Pay (WTP) and Willingness to Contribute Time (WtCT) method was used to explore the extent to which bottom-up governance systems represent a potential financing mechanism of a MPA network. Results of 115 interviews concluded that proximity to a fishing market, dependence on marine resources, food security, income and international commitments were significant variables influencing stakeholder's WTP and WtCT to manage a MPA. We argue that there is a discrepancy between WtCT and WTP driven by income constraints. Thus, by using WTP and WtCT to support financing of a MPA network, a Provincial Trust Fund (PTF) could promote an equitable and benefits-based contribution. Equally important, a PTF has a polycentric and decentralized governance model, which endorses sustainable management of traditional fishing communities. The conclusions provide insight into a bottom-up approach for long-term financial sustainability of Fiji's national MPA commitments.
Relation: Ocean & Coastal Management / Vol. 163, pp.352-363
Relation: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2018.07.011
Year: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd.
Subject: FoR 04 (Earth Sciences) | FoR 05 (Environmental Sciences) | FoR 16 (Studies in Human Society) | marine protected areas | livelihoods | willingness to pay | willingness to contribute time | user fees | trust funds | Fiji | Qoliqoli

Collection(s): Research Publications
Resource Type: Journal Article
Identifier: ISSN: 0964-5691
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