Thursday
10 March 2005
4:30-5:30 pm
102 Fishery Sciences
(auditorium)
Social follows talk
Patrick ChristieAssistant Professor, School of Marine Affairs and Jackson School of International Studies, University of WashingtonConfused Goals and Contested Outcomes: MPAs in Southeast Asia
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Marine protected areas (MPAs) are of growing interest globally. Diverse goals have been established for MPAs representing conservation, fisheries management, scientific, social justice perspectives. They are principally studied from a biological perspective, with some cases documenting improved environmental conditions and increased fish yields. MPAs that meet narrowly-defined biological goals are generally presented as "successes." However, these same MPAs may, in fact, be social "failures" when social evaluation criteria are applied. A review of four MPAs in the Philippines and Indonesia demonstrates this scenario. The cases are reviewed using standard measures of biological and social success. Their historic and present management structures are reviewed. It is suggested that a strong linkage exists between social and biological success, with social considerations determining long-term biological success. This finding implies that standards for measuring both biological and social success should be applied equally and that MPAs should be designed to meet multiple social and biological goals. The evaluation and portrayal of MPAs has implications for the management of a particular MPA and the broader discourse surrounding marine environmental management.
Patrick recently concluded a three-year research project in the Philippines and Indonesia that studied why coastal environmental management processes break down over time. Findings were published and serve as the basis for educational materials. His current research projects consider the feasibility of expanding World Heritage sites to include marine systems globally and the feasibility of ecosystem based management models in the Philippines. Patrick conducted his graduate research on the Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua where he studied the potential of participatory research, which engaged coastal community members as researchers, to improve environmental management. Prior to his academic work, Patrick was involved in the implementation of a community-based marine sanctuary in the Philippines as a Peace Corps Volunteer. He teaches about marine protected areas, coastal management, and environmental management in the tropics.