Marine Planning, Management and Conservation depend on Social-Ecological Resilience Features

Marine planning, management and conservation (MPMC) depend on Social-Ecological Resilience (SER). We investigated SER features in Araçá-Bay, (São Paulo State/Brazil), integrated with Biota-FAPESP/Araçá/Project (BFAP).... [ view full abstract ]

Marine planning, management and conservation (MPMC) depend on Social-Ecological Resilience (SER). We investigated SER features in Araçá-Bay, (São Paulo State/Brazil), integrated with Biota-FAPESP/Araçá/Project (BFAP). Currently, a governmental port expansion project may exterminate this environment. Combined methods were performed during 3 years of intense research-action (2014-2017): in-depth ethno-oceanographic interviews with 18 expert fishers (EF); participatory meetings of Local Plan for Sustainable Development (LPSD) organized by BFAP; monitoring of the meetings of Araçá-Working-Group of Marine Protected Area/Northern-Coast (AWG/MPA-NC); and, production of a film-documentary (Pulsating/25’) encompassing 17 stakeholders’ interviews (SI). All EF reported historical disturbances on ecosystems due to port and urban infrastructures that led to biodiversity and fisheries decline. We found local-practices and social-mechanisms that foster SER: Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) on 57 fishing species, on ecosystem-services (food production, leisure, cultural heritage,etc.), and on measures to protect habitats and species (closed areas, closed seasons, interdict fishing techniques, protect endangered species, exclude outsiders and improve enforcement). We systematized TEK to LPSD meetings. Amongst 26 ecosystems-services, the top-three voted by the participants were those founded on TEK. The AWG/MPA-NC discussed the comprehensiveness of Araçá-Bay into MPA-NC design and TEK was determinant to the arrangement. SI demonstrated how society, pushed by community, scientists and prosecutors, won in court the revocation of the license previously given authorizing port expansion. The film-documentary revealed this scenario, spotlighted the conflict in media and strengthened the community. SER features depend on science-based MPMC strategies that: consider TEK, nurture collective learning, strengthen co-management and stakeholders’ surveillance for the sustainability of ecosystem-services.