Community Conservation Research Network |

Introducing the Community Conservation Research Network

Hillary Web Designer — Fri, 27 Nov 2015 18:42:22 +0000

The Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) is an international initiative to understand and support the links between communities, conservation and livelihoods, and to seek out best governance practices to support the combination of community-based conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

The CCRN is a partnership of indigenous, community, university, governmental and nongovernmental organizations. The CCRN undertakes local-level community-based research and capacity building activities at our sites around the world, and works globally (notably through this website) to provide a focal point on the crucial themes of Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods. The CCRN’s research, which applies a consistent social-ecological systems lens, is producing a range of insights – on such themes as regional and community environmental governance, indigenous self-governance, local networking and the success of conservation initiatives – that will yield important lessons for communities, policy makers and decision makers at all levels, from local to global.

Network Director Dr. Anthony Charles discusses the CCRN’s central conceptual themes communities, conservation and livelihoods

The Importance of Women in Sustaining Livelihoods and Natural Resource Management

CCRN — Wed, 03 Apr 2019 19:00:30 +0000

In many nations – particularly those which are considered to be developing or affected by conflict, it has been found that women are often primarily responsible for ensuring their household needs (such as access to potable water, food, and energy) are being sufficiently met. As such, they play a critical role in the management and use of natural resources. However, as emphasized by the speakers who contributed to this session; there is still a concerning lack of understanding regarding the notable impact women can have on the policy development and implementation process within their respective communities, and beyond. In appreciation of this, a discussion of comparative traditional and/or cultural gender relations and dynamics of power (which limit potential female participation in governance) is provided through personal accounts by women hailing from Madagascar, Guatemala, Hawaii, and Pakistan.

An emphasis is placed on the need to push toward equal recognition of women’s knowledge and capacity to contribute to sustainable development and natural resource management. As human and environmental well-being go hand in hand, it is important to recognize that policies which consider the interests of both spheres simultaneously are more likely to be effective in the long-term -and to be well regarded by local communities. Therefore, active participation of all demographics, including females, in sustaining livelihoods and natural resource management can only lead to a more rich set of perspectives and priorities in the decision making process.

Key Themes:

Engagement, Education & Empowerment, Factors of Success in Community Conservation, Livelihoods, Governance, Rights & Conflict, Conserved Areas

Panelists:

Shaelene Kamaka’ala, from Hawaii, jointly founded the Kahana Kilo Kai program for grassroots and community-based ocean monitoring, and is currently a Community Based Fisheries Area coordinator.

Meher Marker Noshirwani (Pakistan) works in the field of women, development, environment and climate change, and is the Regional Vice Chair for Asia of the IUCN’s Commission on Environmental, Economic, and Social Policy (CEESP).

Vatosoa Rakotondrazafy (Madagascar) has a particular interest in ocean governance, indigenous communities and human rights defense. She focuses on coastal communities as the future of the fisheries in Madagascar, and currently coordinates Madagascar’s LMMAs (Locally Managed Marine Areas) Network.

Yeshing Juliana Upún Yos is a Mayan Kaqchikel woman from Guatemala. She focuses on the collective rights of Indigenous Peoples, especially as they relate to natural resources and sustainable development, with a focus on biodiversity conservation based on traditional knowledge.

Discussion Facilitated by Kristen Walker-Painemilla (Chair, IUCN Commission on Environment, Economics, and Social Policy (CEESP))

Video:

CCL Video

Indigenous Voices on the Environment and the Economy

CCRN — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 18:44:41 +0000

Key themes found throughout the resources below relate to how Indigenous communities are facing and responding to environmental and livelihood sustainability challenges, drawing on Indigenous perspectives on the environment and natural resource stewardship. A dialogue is built through personal accounts both from within Canada, and internationally.

Indigenous knowledge (IK) has the potential to provide invaluable insight for community-based development and conservation efforts through the sharing of multi-generational intellectual capital within and between communities and organisations. This traditional knowledge system provides a means of addressing both environmental and social concerns simultaneously, and sustainably. By incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the policy process, and going beyond simply the duty to consult with aboriginal peoples, we gain unmatched insight into sustainable social-ecological management – for the benefit of all.

Session Chair

Maureen Googoo

(A Mi’kmaq journalist from Indian Brook, Nova Scotia)

Key Themes:
Indigenous Issues, Livelihoods, Climate & Environmental Change, Governance, Rights & Conflict

Click titles to view videos and presentations:

Indigenous Voices on Environment and Economy: Welcome

Raymond Sewell (Saint Mary’s University)

Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Innu, and Passamaquoddy

Ken Paul (Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs)

Nuu-chah-nulth

Dawn Foxcroft (Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council)

Innu Nation

Richard Nuna (Innu Nation Environment Office)

Mosquitia & Panel Discussion

Facilitated by commentator: Osvaldo Munguia (Co-founder and Director, MOPAWI (Mosquitia Development Agency))

Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide (MERG)

CCRN — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 19:51:07 +0000

For the past several years, CCRN partner West Coast Aquatic has been working on a tool to support decision-making that is ecosystem-based and inclusive of multiple knowledge systems (indigenous, local and scientific). Over 200 information layers have been gathered for Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds, which allow a user to see how ecological, cultural and social values intersect in the marine space with human uses. Compatibilities can highlight economic and other opportunities, while conflicts signal the need for management considerations.

The tool is called the Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide (MERG), and is ready for use. It can be freely accessed, on any web browser, without the need to download an app or extension.

Marineguide.ca (no www in front) or https://marineguide.ca/MarineEcosystem/

Users can include industry who are developing proposal applications, Indigenous and other governments who are reviewing proposal applications, multi-sector resource co-management tables, academia doing research in the region, and interested members of the public.

MERG is simple to use, and includes both short “Get Started” document and a comprehensive online “Help” guide to support navigation of the tool. In addition to viewing the information layers included in the tool, users can also privately upload and view their own information in relation to the tool’s layers.

MERG will be continually updated. Annual updates will be made (e.g. to tenure and licence information), and the goal is to expand the geographic scope to include most of the west coast of Vancouver Island.

MERG is replicable. If groups in other areas are interested in developing a similar tool, West Coast Aquatic would be pleased to share their experience.

All information and images provided by CCRN Researcher Tawney Lem.

Communities Learn about Ocean Harvesting through Nuu-chah-nulth Values and Principles

CCRN — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:56:01 +0000

Ocean foods have nourished and sustained Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations for millennia, yet today many challenges exist for those who want to access Nuu-chah-nulth foods and exercise their Aboriginal rights to those foods.

The traditional foods that our ancestors enjoyed remain a significant aspect of social and cultural events, yet often it’s only our Elders who are experts in how to harvest, prepare, and preserve these foods. Having the knowledge and skills to access good, healthy foods for ourselves and our families is an inherent right that should be encouraged at the community level.

This was part of the motivation behind three harvesting workshops organized and coordinated by Uu-a-thluk this past summer in the three regions (i.e., Southern Region: China Creek and Broken Group Islands, Central Region: Toquaht Bay, and Northern Region: Nootka Sound and Yuquot). Thanks to a Special Projects grant from the Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program (NETP), Uu-a-thluk was able to launch this pilot project to better equip Nuu-chah-nulth for aquatic-related employment opportunities.

“Our hope is that we will make these workshops a yearly event and collaborate with Nations who would like to train members on seafood harvesting, preparation, and preservation,” said Michelle Colyn, Uu-a-thluk Capacity Building Coordinator. “This project will allow us to continue to assert our rights for present and future generations to develop fisheries-related opportunities in concert with Nuu-chah-nulth values and rights.”

Community members in the harvesting workshops learned a range of skills and knowledge such as modern ways of harvesting salmon, crab, prawn, groundfish, and kelp; how knowledge of harvesting ocean resources ties into careers in the fisheries and eco-tourism industries; handling, cleaning, filleting salmon, how to prepare kuutchis salmon (Nuu-chah-nulth salmon barbeque over fire), and preservation methods such as canning.

Figure 1: Northern Region Biologist Roger Dunlop leading a seaweed identification activity (harvesting workshop), Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Science Camp

Participants in the Northern Region workshop canned bull kelp and made bull kelp salsa, while in the Central Region community members learned about the importance of the potlatch for Nuu-chah-nulth governance and for important events. This past summer while the workshop was taking place Toquaht community members were harvesting for a special memorial honouring Bert Mack (Deets–kee-sup), who served as Tyee Ha’wilth (Hereditary Chief) of Toquaht First Nation until 2009. Those taking part in this workshop also learned about how Nuu-chah-nulth would move through the seasons harvesting food during the 13 moons of the Nuu-chah-nulth calendar. Anii-tsa-chist (Larry Johnson), Toquaht fisher and President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood Development Corporation spoke about the importance of being familiar with the “Seasonal Round” or Nuu-chah-nulth calendar.

“To truly get back to traditional foods it’s important to know why and when different foods are harvested. We’ve been removed from the fishing industry and the coastal way of life,” he said, adding that the residential schools and the shutting out of Nuu-chah-nulth from the commercial fishing industry have significantly contributed to this disconnection.

Defined by the principles of hišukiš c̓awaak meaning “everything is connected,” as Nuu-chah-nulth we understand our sacred duty to foster healthy relationships with the land, waters, plants, and animals that give us our food. With this comes the necessity to respond to our own requirements for safe, healthy cultural foods and the ability to make decisions over how much and what food we hunt, fish, gather, grow and eat to feed our communities. Field-based training opportunities like the harvesting workshops connect food sovereignty and food security with employment on the water, which is crucial to ensuring the long-term success of fisheries and fisheries related businesses. Engaging the next generation in this understanding often begins with something as simple as a first fishing lesson.

Anii-tsa-chist recalled the thrill of catching salmon on a rod for the first time and how he noticed this in the children who he taught to fish at the harvesting workshop in Toquaht Bay. “Adrenalin takes over and that excitement takes me right back to being a little boy and fishing stickleback in the rivers.” Although he added that this should be but one lesson of many. “Being a fisher isn’t something you learn from one course once a year. It’s a lifetime of things you pick up along the way.”

All information in this post provided by CCRN Researcher Dawn Foxcroft

Sea and Indigenous people

CCRN — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:58:06 +0000

Directorate of Coastal and Small Island Utilization, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia in cooperation with Faculty of Human Ecology from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and CCRN researchers (Dr. Arif Satria and Ahmad Mony) in Indonesia have launched a book titled “Laut dan Masyarakat Adat” or “Sea and Indigenous Peoples”. This book is the result of research on five indigenous communities inhabiting five small islands, Kawio Island, Kawaluso Island, Talaud Island, Liki Island, and Selaru Island. These five islands have direct border with neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Philippines, Palau, and Australia. The launching of this book brings Dr. Arif Satria as the main speaker and Prof. Dr. Dietrich G. Bengen from Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty – IPB as the discussant.

The book explores several topics, such as: defining Indigenous / local communities, economic and institutional profiles, problems and challenges facing Indigenous peoples, agrarian (land-based) bias, empowerment gaps, and roadmaps towards indigenous / local community empowerment. It is hoped that the publication of this book can provide an overview of the condition and existence of Indigenous and tribal peoples in Indonesia, especially in small islands, in order to maintain its sustainability. Currently the book is in Indonesian, however, those interested in the book can visit: https://kompas.id/gerai/belanja/buku/laut-dan-masyarakat-adat/

Book Review Event of “Sea and Indigenous People”

The launching of this book was attended by a number of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Village, Ministry of Bappenas, and a number of international and local NGOs. Dr. Arif Satria explained that the writing of this book became the foundation for the dissemination of the discourse of coastal and marine resource management based on indigenous peoples found in this research. National policies that have made room for the implementation of community resource management practices should be welcomed with innovative research to formulate effective and sustainable policy and action plans.

This book has been adopted as a basis in formulating policies and action plans for the empowerment of indigenous peoples who inhabit small islands by the Directorate of Coastal and Small Island Utilization, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia. The parties commit to continue similar research for other indigenous communities, and will use the SES approach (social ecological system) as the main approach of research. It is expected that appropriate coastal and marine resource management models will surface and will be implemented in indigenous communities in Indonesia.

Information in this post, and all images, were provided by CCRN Researcher Ahmad Mony.

Maintaining coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean in Canada

CCRN — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:47:59 +0000

Article Originally posted/authored on November 21, 2017 by CCRN researcher Nathan Bennett. This article is re-posted with permission from the author.

A team of academics, Indigenous peoples, fishers, and NGOs, including CCRN researchers Nathan Bennett and Natalie Ban, and CCRN Director Anthony Charles, recently published a review and policy perspective paper in Marine Policy urging that access for coastal and Indigenous communities should be a priority consideration in all policies and decision-making processes related to fisheries and the ocean in Canada. The ability to use and benefit from marine resources (including fisheries) and areas of the ocean or coast is central to the sustainability of coastal communities. In Canada, however, access to marine resources and spaces is a significant and growing issue for many coastal and Indigenous communities due to an increasingly busy ocean: ocean-related development, competition over fisheries and marine resources, and marine planning and conservation activities that confine activities to certain areas. Loss of access has implications for the well-being, including economic, social, cultural, health, and political considerations, and persistence of coastal and Indigenous communities across the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Canada. The vibrancy and continuity of these communities is important to Canadian society for many reasons, including identity, autonomy, sovereignty, culture, healthy rural-urban dynamics, and environmental sustainability. Greater attention is needed to the various factors that support or undermine the ability of coastal and Indigenous communities to access and benefit from the ocean and how to reverse the current trend to ensure that coastal and Indigenous communities thrive in the future.

KEY MESSAGES

Access to marine resources and the ocean is important for the well-being of coastal populations. In Canada, the ability of many coastal and Indigenous communities to access and benefit from the ocean is a growing issue. Access for coastal and Indigenous communities should be a priority consideration in all policies and decision-making processes related to fisheries and the ocean in Canada. Taking action now could reverse the current trend and ensure that coastal and Indigenous communities thrive in the future.

Recommended actions include:

Ensuring access is proactively and transparently considered in all fisheries and ocean-related decisions.
Supporting policy-relevant research on access issues to fill knowledge gaps and enable effective policy and management responses.
Making data publicly available and accessible and including communities in decision-making processes that grant or restrict access to adjacent marine resources and spaces.
Ensuring updated laws, policies and planning processes explicitly incorporate access considerations.
Identifying and taking priority actions now to maintain and increase access, when appropriate and sustainable, for coastal and Indigenous communities.

For more information, refer to the following publication and policy brief:

Bennett NJ et al. 2018. Coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean: A policy imperative for Canada. Marine Policy 87:186–193. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17306413

Policy Brief: Maintaining coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean in Canada

Link to original post: https://nathanbennett.ca/2017/11/21/maintaining-coastal-and-indigenous-community-access-to-marine-resources-and-the-ocean-in-canada/

The Power of Community: Effective Conservation and Sustainable Livelihoods

CCRN — Thu, 23 Nov 2017 15:40:55 +0000

This webinar presents some of the insights coming from the work of the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) over the past six years. Tony Charles, CCRN Director, explores the linkages of Communities, Conservation and Livelihoods by drawing on the network’s case studies of communities around the world, the environmental and livelihood challenges they face, and their efforts to respond to those challenges. The webinar highlights three big messages. (1) A diverse ‘portfolio’ of environmental stewardship is used by communities worldwide to safeguard local economies and livelihoods. (2) There is a crucial positive feedback of local communities engaging in environmental stewardship, producing healthier environments that contribute to community well-being and resilience. (3) Government support is important for the success of community conservation, and hence deserves greater attention in both policy and practical terms. The webinar includes an invitation to contribute to Communities in Action – CCRN’s global project to ‘put communities on the map’ by crowdsourcing stories of community conservation and sustainable livelihoods.

Power and Politics in Community Conservation

Hillary Web Designer — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 21:49:43 +0000

Issues of power and politics are at the heart of community conservation which in turn influences its ultimate success and failure. Power is central to understanding processes and structures associated with resource and environmental conservation. This may be particularly important in the case of community conservation which is widespread throughout the world. Despite its importance, there remains limited empirical attention to the actual workings of power in environmental settings, and particularly with regards to conditions determining the success and failure of community conservation (i.e. lack of attention to the complex and dynamic economic, social, historical, cultural and political conditions). A limited attention to empirical analysis of power is also apparent in fisheries and coastal management. For example, power is considered an understated and understudied issue in coastal and fisheries management, and there is in reality little discussion on what it means and how it manifests. Drawing from these insights, I will focus on power and politics as they relate to community conservation with specific reference to the strategies and tactics used by various actors either to grab power or ways in which communities in conservation respond to forces causing disempowerment. I plan to provide some initial insights on possible methods and tools used by the community conservation groups to realize their rights, deal with injustices, and gain power to further livelihood and conservation objectives. My reflections in this webinar be largely based on the contents of a paper on which several CCRN members are currently working.

Balancing social justice and conservation concerns in an era of expanded protected area targets

Hillary Web Designer — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 21:48:08 +0000

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are increasingly recognised across the world as an important strategy for protecting marine resources, conserving biodiversity, rebuilding threatened fish stocks and restoring degraded habitats. The value of MPAs has been discussed at various global gatherings such as the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002 and the Fifth World Parks Congress in Durban in South Africa in 2003, as well as various Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) meetings. Furthermore, several conservation and fisheries development agencies have also called for action to speed up the process of marine protection and have encouraged governments to establish MPAs and MPA networks. Various conventions, protocols and agreements, all recognise the importance of the conservation of coastal and marine resources and areas, but they also highlight the need to take account of the socio-economic and cultural rights and interests of local communities living in and adjacent to such areas. Governments are faced with calls to expand MPAs and establish a representative network of MPAs but also to address the potential impacts of MPA’s, on rights, livelihoods and social wellbeing of coastal communities. This webinar explores the tensions between efforts to manage existing and extend protected areas and requirements to respect rights and livelihoods of local communities living in and adjacent to such areas. It draws on cases from South Africa to illustrate some of the tensions and challenges on the ground and explores possible shifts – in thinking, values and approaches – required to move towards an approach to marine conservation that embraces social justice principles.