"Before European contact, Native Hawaiians were catching fish at
rates that far exceed what reefs currently provide society," said John
"Jack" N.Kittinger, co-author and an early career fellow at the Center
for Ocean Solutions at Stanford University.
"These results show us that
fisheries can be both highly productive and sustainable, if they're
managed effectively." In contrast, historical fisheries in Florida were
characterized by boom and bust, with serial depletions of highly
valuable species for export markets. Today many species that were the
target of 19th and early 20th century fisheries in
Florida -- including green turtles, sawfish, conch and groupers -- have
severely reduced populations or are in danger of extinction.
"Seven hundred years of history clearly demonstrate that management
matters," said Loren McClenachan, co-author and assistant professor of
Environmental Studies at Colby College. "Ancient Hawaiian societies used
sophisticated tools similar to innovative conservation strategies used
today, like marine protected areas and restrictions on harvest of
vulnerable species like sharks." The difference, the authors explained,
was in the way fisheries governance systems were structured. Regulations
were developed locally with the buy-in of community members, but they
were also effectively enforced with methods that now would be considered
draconian. "Today, no management system comes close to achieving this
balance, and as a result, resource depletion and collapse is common,"
said McClenachan.
The authors were able to characterize historical catch rates in
Florida and Hawaii through an extensive review of archival sources,
including species-specific catch records from the 1800s and
archaeological reconstructions of human population densities and
per-capita fish consumption back to the 1300s. Such information is
relatively rare in coral reef areas. They then characterized management
regimes associated with periods of high sustained yields using a variety
of sources, including published work of Native Hawaiian scholars. This
work revealed that sustainable fisheries existed during periods in which
regulations were strict and socially enforced in ways that were often
class and gender based. For example, many vulnerable species -- like
sharks and marine turtles -- were reserved exclusively for high priests
and chiefs.
Ancient Hawaiian societies depended entirely on local resources and
needed creative ways to avoid resource collapse. For example, fishpond
aquaculture was used to sequester nutrients and reduce pollution on
reefs. In contrast, much of today's aquaculture requires large inputs of
wild caught fish and antibiotics, often resulting in increased
pollution. "Ancient Hawaiian society effectively practiced what we now
call Ecosystem-Based Management, which is something that modern society
often struggles to achieve," says McClenachan. "Incorporating some of
these ancient techniques into today's policy may be the key to
sustaining our fisheries."
The authors of the study, titled "Multicentury trends and the
sustainability of coral reef fisheries in Hawai'i and Florida," point to
the U.S. National Ocean Policy as an example of emerging attempts to
manage ocean ecosystems more holistically, and local fisheries
co-management as a modern way of including community members in
designing effective fishing regulations. However, the authors caution
that effective enforcement needs to go hand in hand with the development
of local governance. "The ancient Hawaiians punished transgressors with
corporal punishment," observed Kittinger. "Clearly, we don't recommend
this, but it's easy to see there's room to tighten up today's
enforcement efforts."
source:sciencedaily.com
