The role of socio-economic factors in traditional coral reef management in Papua New Guinea

JOSHUA E. CINNER, Trevor Grahame BOND, STEPHEN G. SUTTON

Research output: Contribution to conferencePapers

Abstract

Because of their perceived potential to meet conservation goals, traditional management techniques are being revitalized by communities, governments, and conservation groups as an integral part of marine conservation plans in the Pacific. However, it is uncertain whether traditional management can provide a solid foundation for the development of conservation strategies. Little is known about the social, economic, and cultural processes that enable communities to employ traditional management strategies. To examine which socioeconomic factors might influence whether a community employs or maintains traditional management, we compared socioeconomic factors in 14 coastal communities in Papua New Guinea. Rasch modelling was employed to aggregate household-level socioeconomic indicators into thematic interval-level variables. Socioeconomic factors in the communities that employ traditional closures of coral reefs were quantitatively compared with those of the communities that do not. Results showed that the constructs used to measure modernisation, social capital and occupational mobility had a slight but significant relationship to the presence of traditional closures, and the construct of dependence on marine resources was strongly related to the presence of traditional closures.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2005

Citation

Cinner, J., Bond, T., & Sutton, S. (2005, November). The role of socio-economic factors in traditional coral reef management in Papua New Guinea. Paper presented at the Rainforest meets Reef: Joint conference of CRC Reef and Rainforest CRC, Townsville, Queensland.

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