In the search for sustainability of the ocean’s fisheries, solutions can
be found in a surprising place: the ancient past.
In a study
to be published March 23 in the journal Fish and Fisheries, a team of
marine scientists reconstructed fisheries yields over seven centuries of
human habitation in Hawaii and the Florida Keys, the largest coral reef
ecosystems in the United States, and evaluated the management strategies
associated with periods of sustainability. The results surprised them.
“Before European contact, Native Hawaiians were catching fish at rates
that far exceed what reefs currently provide society,” said John “Jack”
N. Kittinger, co-author and an early career fellow at the Center for
Ocean Solutions at Stanford University. “These results show us that
fisheries can be both highly productive and sustainable, if they're
managed effectively.” In contrast, historical fisheries in Florida were
characterized by boom and bust, with serial depletions of highly
valuable species for export markets. Today many species that were the
target of 19th and early 20th century fisheries in Florida - including
green turtles, sawfish, conch and groupers - have severely reduced
populations or are in danger of extinction.
“Seven hundred years of history clearly demonstrate that management
matters,” said Loren McClenachan, co-author and assistant professor of
Environmental Studies at Colby College. "Ancient Hawaiian societies used
sophisticated tools similar to innovative conservation strategies used
today, like marine protected areas and restrictions on harvest of
vulnerable species like sharks.” The difference, the authors explained,
was in the way fisheries governance systems were structured. Regulations
were developed locally with the buy-in of community members, but they
were also effectively enforced with methods that now would be considered
draconian. “Today, no management system comes close to achieving this
balance, and as a result, resource depletion and collapse is common,”
said McClenachan.
The authors were able to characterize historical catch rates in Florida
and Hawaii through an extensive review of archival sources, including
species-specific catch records from the 1800s and archaeological
reconstructions of human population densities and per-capita fish
consumption back to the 1300s. Such information is relatively rare in
coral reef areas. They then characterized management regimes associated
with periods of high sustained yields using a variety of sources,
including published work of Native Hawaiian scholars. This work revealed
that sustainable fisheries existed during periods in which regulations
were strict and socially enforced in ways that were often class and
gender based. For example, many vulnerable species—like sharks and
marine turtles—were reserved exclusively for high priests and chiefs.
Ancient Hawaiian societies depended entirely on local resources and
needed creative ways to avoid resource collapse. For example, fishpond
aquaculture was used to sequester nutrients and reduce pollution on
reefs. In contrast, much of today’s aquaculture requires large inputs of
wild caught fish and antibiotics, often resulting in increased
pollution. “Ancient Hawaiian society effectively practiced what we now
call Ecosystem-Based Management, which is something that modern society
often struggles to achieve,” says McClenachan. “Incorporating some of
these ancient techniques into today’s policy may be the key to
sustaining our fisheries.”
The authors of the study, titled "Multicentury trends and the
sustainability of coral reef fisheries in Hawai‘i and Florida", point to
the U.S. National Ocean Policy as an example of emerging attempts to
manage ocean ecosystems more holistically, and local fisheries
co-management as a modern way of including community members in
designing effective fishing regulations. However, the authors caution
that effective enforcement needs to go hand in hand with the development
of local governance. “The ancient Hawaiians punished transgressors with
corporal punishment,” observed Kittinger. “Clearly, we don’t recommend
this, but it’s easy to see there’s room to tighten up today’s
enforcement efforts.”
The Center for Ocean Solutions is a collaboration among Stanford
University’s Woods Institute for the Environment and Hopkins Marine
Station, the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Research Institute. Across these institutions, COS draws from about 80
scholars, researchers and educators who work on coastal and ocean
ecosystems in the natural, physical and social sciences. COS also works
with experienced conservation practitioners and policy experts. Located
at Stanford and in Monterey, California, COS is uniquely positioned to
leverage expertise and develop practical solutions to the most urgent
and important ocean conservation problems.
Founded in 1813, Colby College is the 12th-oldest independent liberal
arts college in the nation. Colby provides a rigorous academic program
that fosters transformational relationships between students and
faculty. Graduates emerge as committed leaders ready to make an impact
on their world. Colby is committed to making the full experience
accessible to all qualified students, regardless of their ability to
pay. The college enrolls 1,825 students.
