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Local fishing rights associated with marine reserves to boost small-scale fisheries recovery

CommunautĂ© de pĂȘcheurs ocĂ©an Indien @ Laetitia Scuiller EnezGreen
CommunautĂ© de pĂȘcheurs ocĂ©an Indien @ Laetitia Scuiller EnezGreen

TURF areas and marine reserves can be mutually beneficial, and it is their combination that provides a hopeful new approach. Studies have shown that well-managed no-take areas boost fish stocks by an average of 446% inside a protected area and 207% outside the area.

Local fishing rights + marine reserves: a better approach to small-scale fisheries recovery

Small-scale fisheries are in serious need of a durable recovery strategy

By pairing “territorial user rights fisheries” (TURFs) with marine reserves (fully protected marine areas) – two well-known and typically independent concepts – TURF-Reserves present a unique opportunity to restore small-scale fisheries and promote marine conservation at the same time.

The community-driven marine protection effort in Bindoy, Philippines joins a number of countries whose communities have taken their first steps in TURF-Reserve implementation, including Belize, Brazil, Chile, Fiji, Japan and Mexico.

Inside a marine reserve, fish populations have room to recover, and fish can grow quite large. Eventually, some of the bounty inside the reserve can spill over into surrounding areas. If the reserve is surrounded by a TURF, fishers who made the investment in the reserve have secure rights to fisheries benefits.

Existing TURF-Reserves have produced encouraging results.