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New, market-based strategies for marine conservationorganized by Mike Beck (The Nature Conservancy), Charles Cook (The Nature Conservancy), Craig Denisoff (Wildlands, Inc.) and Rod Fujita (Environmental Defense)REDUCING OPPOSITION TO OCEAN CONSERVATION ROD FUJITA, Environmental Defense, Oakland, CA, USA, rfujita@environmentaldefense.org Overfishing, bycatch, and habitat degradation associated with certain kinds of fishing are threats to marine biodiversity. Conventional management approaches have succeeded with some fisheries, but have failed with others. In many cases where failure has occurred, specific shares of an allowable catch based on scientific determinations of “surplus production” have not been allocated. Conventional management tends to support commodity markets for fish and large, consolidated processing facilities because vast quantities of fish are landed during short seasons brought on by the race to maximize catch. This lowers prices and causes coastal communities to lose processing facilities, jobs, and capital. The solution is to reform fisheries governance and markets so that economic incentives are aligned with sustainable fishing and community well-being. On the supply side, dedicating shares of the catch to individuals, communities, harvest cooperatives, or regional entities has successfully ended competition to maximize catch in many cases around the world. Results include lower bycatch rates, better compliance, underfishing, habitat protection, longer seasons, and reduced fishing capacity, among others. On the demand side, efforts to educate consumers and corporate buyers are paying off in terms of emerging non-commodity markets for high quality, “artisanal” fish that is fresh and supports fishing cultures and coastal communities. Non-bank financing will probably be required to help transition fisheries to new governance systems that harmonize conservation with economic health, preparing them for investment by more traditional sources of capital. TESTING A NEW TOOL FOR MARINE CONSERVATION: PROTECTING ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT THROUGH THE ACQUISITION OF FEDERAL FISHING PERMITS AND TRAWL VESSELS CHARLES COOK, The Nature Conservancy, Ojai, CA, USA, cook@tnc.org A 2002 U.S. National Research Council study, Effects of Trawling and Dredging on Seafloor Habitat, concluded that trawling and dredging change the physical habitat and biological structure of ecosystems and therefore can have potentially wide-ranging consequences. Three fisheries management tools can be used to mitigate the negative effects of bottom trawling on seafloor habitat: effort reduction, area closures and gear modification. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and partners are investing private funds to reduce trawling effort in exchange for the establishment of offshore marine protected areas. More specifically, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council is scheduled to close 3,800,000 acres of Essential Fish Habitat to bottom trawling in May 2006, between Pt. Conception and Pt. Sur in California. Simultaneously, The Nature Conservancy will acquire 60% of the federal groundfish permits and vessels that drag in that region of the central coast. This appears to be the first case of public action in offshore federal waters [closures] taken as a direct result of private funding by a non-government organization. As a result of this effort, TNC will become one of the first NGOs to own a substantial share of harvest rights for groundfish. MITIGATION BANKING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COASTAL AND OCEAN ENVIRONMENT CRAIG DENISOFF, Environmental Business Partners, Davis, CA, USA, cdenisoff@sbcglobal.net Mitigation banks and large-scale mitigation projects have been used as an effective tool to address impacts from development while targeting important habitats for restoration and long-term preservation. In addition, mitigation banks also provide an economic incentives and methods to protect important ecosystem functions and landscapes. For example, two of the largest coastal wetland restoration projects implemented in Southern California over the last decade, Batiquitos Lagoon and Bolsa Chica wetlands, were implemented through resources provided from mitigation. Mitigation banks which operate under strict guidance issued by the federal agencies require a number of assurance to ensure both the implementation and success of these projects including legal protections (conservation easements, deed restriction), financial assurances (construction bonding, contingency securities, and endowment accounts for the long-term stewardship), and biological performance standards (vegetation, hydrology, soils, wildlife). While all forms of restoration and, hence mitigation projects (individual, banks, in-lieu fees, ad hoc), face certain challenges, mitigation banking with its associated high standards and economic incentives provides opportunities for the acquisition, restoration, and long-term stewardship ranging from coastal tidal wetlands to ocean habitats such as eel grass and kelp beds. CONSERVATION LEASING AND OWNERSHIP OF SUBMERGED LANDS: NEW TOOLS FOR MARINE CONSERVATION MICHAEL BECK, The Nature Conservancy, Santa Cruz, CA, USA, mbeck@tnc.org It has been commonly assumed that marine conservation must be substantially different than terrestrial conservation because it is not possible for groups to acquire interest in the publicly owned oceans. This is an unfortunate misconception. There is significant submerged land available for lease and ownership in the United States and internationally for a diverse array of ecosystems including kelp forests, marshes, seagrasses, oyster reefs, and coral reefs. The Nature Conservancy and partners have been developing and testing these tools. In New York, we have acquired full ownership and stewardship of more than 13,000 acres of subtidal habitat. In Washington, we have helped to develop new state policy specifically for the conservation leasing of submerged lands. In California, we are working with industry partners on two different lease sites encompassing more than 1700 acres of kelp forest along 15 miles of the Big Sur coast to examine the effects of kelp canopy loss on juvenile rockfish nursery habitat. These case studies provide valuable lessons on the application of these new tools. Conservation leasing and ownership of submerged lands is a new strategy that can be added to the marine conservation toolbox. | |||||||||||||||||
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