Laura Loucks (CCRN Researcher) provides insight on how community livelihoods on the west coast of BC, Canada, changed from the socio-economic base of forestry and fishing to eco-tourism. She goes on to highlight some of the challenges these coastal communities are facing in dealing with their livelihoods that are now centred on seasonal jobs and lower wages. Dawn Foxcroft and Don Hall (Nuu-chah-nulth and CCRN partners) talk about the limited economic opportunities experienced by the Nuu-Chah-Nulth people and their desire to back to the fishing economy to sustain their livelihoods.

Check out the CCRN community stories for more information about these sites.

Arif Satria (CCRN Researcher) talks about fisheries conservation challenges in Indonesia that were brought in by the government’s zoning system, which failed to consider the plight of local fishermen. He then proposes community conservation programmes as a remedy to conservation problems in Indonesia. Derek Armitage (CCRN Researcher) tackles the relationship between community stewardship of resources and community well-being in a fishing community. He defined community well-being as the ability of communities to maintain their families and livelihoods and recognizing that fishing is not just a job, but a livelihood that requires communities to be stewards of fisheries.

Phil Dearden (CCRN Researcher) highlights some of the challenges with Thailand’s marine reserves and fisheries that include dwindling fisheries, changes brought by climate variabilities and coral bleaching. He proposes a community-oriented agreement that focuses on community conservation and stewardship of resources as a solution to Thailand’s marine reserve challenges. Dachanee Emphandu (CCRN Researcher) emphasises the need for community stewardship of resources for the benefit of livelihoods that rely on these resources. Mitsutaku Makino (CCRN Researcher in Japan) highlights some of the conservation challenges in Japan, such as declining fisheries, environmental degradation and urbanization, degradation of coral reefs and heavy tourism.

Check out the CCRN community stories for more information about these sites.

Juan Carlos Seijo (CCRN Researcher) highlights the mal-fishing practices happening in Mexico. He advocated for sustainable fishing practices and better management of ecosystems to sustain human livelihoods. Minerva Arce-Ibarra (CCRN Researcher) highlights how communities in Mexico are adopting CCRN’s major themes that include: Meaning, Motivation, Governance and Outcomes, in addressing their challenges. She also encouraged communities to devise livelihoods strategies that cope with their current environmental stresses. Silvia Salas (CCRN Affiliate) gives us insights on how communities in Chile are addressing their water and poverty challenges through organizing themselves and mapping ways for sustaining their livelihoods.

Fikret Berkes (CCRN Researcher) outlines how industrialization and different government policies have affected local fisheries and small-scale agriculture in Brazil. According to Cristiana Seixas (CCRN Researcher), CCRN is helping in designing participatory monitoring of fisheries to be used by communities in fostering community development in Brazil. Cathy Conrad (CCRN Researcher) highlights the importance of stewardship of community resources in The Gambia’s economic development. Lastly, Merle Sowman (CCRN Researcher) talks of the government’s plans to protect marine areas and how this move will affect the livelihoods of local communities who rely on these marine areas for their fishing in South Africa.

Check out the CCRN community stories for more information about these sites.