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Fishing for a solution: can collaborative resource management reduce poverty and support conservation?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

JENNIFER SOLOMON ,
SUSAN K. JACOBSON  and
IVY LIU
JENNIFER SOLOMON*
Affiliation:
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611–0430, USA
SUSAN K. JACOBSON
Affiliation:
Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, PO Box 110430, Gainesville, FL 32611–0430, USA
IVY LIU
Affiliation:
School of Mathematics, Statistics, and Operations Research, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
*
*Correspondence: Dr Jennifer Solomon current address: 49 Wye Street, Island Bay, Wellington 6023, New Zealand Tel: +64 4 383 6333 e-mail: jen.solomon@yahoo.com
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Summary

Protected area management in developing countries faces the challenges of building support for conservation among neighbouring residents and monitoring the social and ecological impacts of conservation programming. This study examined a collaborative resource management (CRM) programme at Kibale National Park (Uganda) that permits residents to fish inside the Park. Like other integrated conservation and development programmes, the goals are to help alleviate poverty and encourage support for conservation and conservation-related behaviours. The programme's impact was empirically analysed using an 81 item personal survey, with 94 CRM fishers and 91 comparison group respondents, and additional data from semi-structured interviews and document review. Fishers’ annual income was significantly greater (median = US$ 376.02 yr−1) than that of the comparison group (median = US$ 196.19 yr−1; p < 0.001), and their tribal affiliation influenced earnings. Fishers indicated greater support for conservation (p < 0.01) than the comparison group. Although some CRM fishers deterred illegal activity, some may extract resources illegally. This study demonstrates that CRM is a viable tool for promoting support for conservation and increasing income, although monitoring of programme participants is needed to deter illegal behaviours and sustain the resource base.

Keywords

attitudesdevelopmentKibaleprotected areassurveyUganda
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 39 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 51 - 61
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2011

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