Optimizing enforcement and compliance in offshore marine protected areas: a case study from Cocos Island, Costa Rica

Illegal exploitation of resources is a cause of environmental degradation worldwide. The effectiveness of conservation initiatives such as marine protected areas relies on users' compliance with regulations. Although compliance can be motivated by social norms (e.g. peer pressure and legitimacy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oryx 2016-01, Vol.50 (1), p.18-26
Main Authors: Arias, Adrian, Pressey, Robert L., Jones, Rhondda E., Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G., Cinner, Joshua E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Case studies
Cocos Island
Commercial fishing
Compliance
conservation areas
Convictions
Costa Rica
Datasets
Enforcement
environmental degradation
Fishing
governance
illegal fishing
issues and policy
longlining
lunar phase
Marine
Marine conservation
marine reserve
National parks
patrol
poaching
Probability
social behavior
space and time
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Summary:Illegal exploitation of resources is a cause of environmental degradation worldwide. The effectiveness of conservation initiatives such as marine protected areas relies on users' compliance with regulations. Although compliance can be motivated by social norms (e.g. peer pressure and legitimacy), some enforcement is commonly necessary. Enforcement is expensive, particularly in areas far from land, but costs can be reduced by optimizing enforcement. We present a case study of how enforcement could be optimized at Cocos Island National Park, Costa Rica, an offshore protected area and World Heritage Site. By analysing patrol records we determined the spatial and temporal distribution of illegal fishing and its relationship to patrol effort. Illegal fishing was concentrated on a seamount within the Park and peaked during the third year-quarter, probably as a result of oceanographic conditions. The lunar cycle in conjunction with the time of year significantly influenced the occurrence of incursions. The predictability of illegal fishing in space and time facilitates the optimization of patrol effort. Repeat offenders are common in the Park and we suggest that unenforced regulations and weak governance are partly to blame. We provide recommendations for efficient distribution of patrol effort in space and time, establishing adequate governance and policy, and designing marine protected areas to improve compliance. Our methods and recommendations are applicable to other protected areas and managed natural resources.
ISSN:0030-6053
1365-3008
1365-3008
DOI:10.1017/S0030605314000337