Comparing the management effectiveness of a marine park and a multiple-use collaborative fisheries management area in East Africa

Published source details McClanahan T.R., Verheij E. & Maina J. (2006) Comparing the management effectiveness of a marine park and a multiple-use collaborative fisheries management area in East Africa. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 16, 147-165.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Establish community-based coral reef management Action Link
	Involve fishers and stakeholders in co-management Action Link
	Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area Action Link

Establish community-based coral reef management

A replicated, site comparison study in 1996 and 2003–2004 in 12 marine areas in coastal Kenya and Tanzania (McClanahan et al. 2006) found that areas with community-based coral reef management with a history of destructive fishing had similar coral cover and diversity compared to Marine Protected Areas with no fishing. Coral cover was similar in community-managed sites (1996, before bleaching: 24 cm/m; 2004, post-bleaching: 28 cm/m) compared to protected sites (1996, before bleaching: cover 22 cm/m; 2004, post-bleaching: 32 cm/m). The diversity of hard coral species was also similar between community-managed sites (1996, before bleaching: 12 coral species/90 m transect; 2004, post-bleaching: 13) compared to protected sites (1996, before bleaching: 12; 2004, post-bleaching: 13). Community enforcement reduced dynamite fishing from 180 blasts/month in 1995 to <5/month in 2003. Coral reef sites of similar aspects (four small collaborative managed reefs in the Mtang’ata Community Managed Area and three separate sites in Marine Protected Areas with no fishing) were compared and included Malindi, Watamu and Mombasa Marine National Parks. The Mtang’ata collaborative managed area reefs were included in 1994 as recognition of the degradation due to dynamite fishing and illegal mangrove cutting and to enhance the well-being of the coastal communities by improving management. Communities were surveyed using nine 10-m line transects/site with benthic biota >3 cm in length classified into nine gross categories; hard coral were further identified to genus.

(Summarised by: Silviu Petrovan)
Involve fishers and stakeholders in co-management

A before-and-after study in 1996–2004 at four coral reef sites in the Indian Ocean off Tanzania (McClanahan et al. 2006) found that involving fishers and stakeholders in co-management resulted in an increase in overall fish abundance, but abundance varied between species groups, nine years after implementation compared to before. Total fish biomass was higher after nine years (2004) compared to the year of implementation (1996) of collaboratively managed reef fisheries (after: 457 kg/ha, before: 260 kg/ha). Between individual species groups, fish biomass was higher for eight, similar for two and lower for two groups (see original paper for data by species group). Data were collected from four small reefs (0.25–3.0 km²) in the Mtang’ata Collaborative Management Area in Tanzania (established in 1996) managed by gear restrictions and small voluntarily and temporary closed areas (some illegal fishing was reported). At each reef site, fish communities were surveyed twice (in 1996 and 2003–2004) by underwater visual census along two 5 × 100 m belt transects at each site.

(Summarised by: Natasha Taylor)
Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area

A replicated, site comparison study in 1996–2004 at seven coral reef sites in the Indian Ocean off Kenya and Tanzania (McClanahan et al. 2006) found that in a large permanent no-take zone of a marine protected area where fishing was prohibited for over 20 years, there was higher total fish biomass and species richness, but biomass varied between fish family groups, compared to reefs managed collaboratively for less than 10 years by gear restrictions and temporary fishing closures. Total weight of fish was greater in the area with a permanent no-take zone compared to without in two of two years sampled (weight: 682–1,354 vs 260–457 kg/ha) but the responses differed by individual fish family group (see paper for data), and total number of fish species was higher (with: 47–51, without: 38–41 species/500 m³). Data were collected from sites in two locations: three reefs in a 10 km² area of the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park in Kenya (established 1973) permanently closed to all extractive activities and adjacent to a gear-managed reserve; and four small reefs (0.25–3.0 km²) in the Mtang’ata Collaborative Management Area in Tanzania (established in 1996) managed by gear restrictions and small voluntarily and temporary closed areas (some illegal fishing reported). At each reef site, fish communities were surveyed twice (in 1996 and 2003–2004) by underwater visual census along two 5 × 100 m belt transects at each site.

(Summarised by: Khatija Alliji)