Fishing Practices in the Galapagos Islands: The Local Struggle Approached Through Two Political Ecology Theses

Authors

  • Brittany MacGillivray

Keywords:

Fishing, Galapagos Islands

Abstract

Overexploitation and illegal fishing continues to be a problem within the Galapagos Marine Reserve. Local compliance regarding conservation initiatives and the regulations governing the access to, and use of marine resources is exacerbating these problems. The conservation and control thesis and the degradation and marginalization thesis from political ecology were applied to the current issues in the Marine Reserve as an attempt to understand behaviour motivation. Commonalities among these theses suggest a socio-political struggle where government and international agencies are discrediting local values and livelihood, and are encouraging the overexploitation of their resources. Future management should strive to understand and address these motivations; working with and encouraging the inclusion of local communities into management regimes to ultimately ensure compliance, community empowerment, and the long-term sustainable use of marine resources and the integrity of the marine ecosystems in the Galapagos Islands.  

Author Biography

Brittany MacGillivray

Brittany MacGillivray, a Nova Scotian native, completed her Bachelor of Science degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Currently she is completing her Masters degree in Resource and Environmental Management, also at Dalhousie University. The enrolment in this degree and recent traveling endeavours have contributed significantly to her keen interest in international issues, focusing on fisheries management in developing countries. Brittany took advantage of an assignment in her Fisheries Management class to examine some key motivating factors for the current illegal and over-exploitive behaviours occurring in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

References

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Published

2011-03-20

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Vol. 7 No. 2 (2011)

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Articles

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