Cullen, L: Marine resource dependence

Marine resources in Wakatobi MNP are heavily relied upon for food, raw materials and income. There is currently concern over the deterioration of the more accessible areas of reef, mangrove and seagrass. One reason why past conservation initiatives have failed is lack of compliance of local people to management regulations. This is due largely to actual, perceived, or expected, economic losses to communities. A key role of management should be to maintain or improve the economic status of local people. This work uses the Kaledupa sub-district to provide a detailed case study of a small island community with high natural resource dependence. The book details natural resource use patterns and the extensive local complexities that must be understood for any chance of management success, it also highlights the importance of marine resources to the local economy. A series of economic performance criteria are identified to be used in the development of appropriate management plans that aim to maintain ecological wealth and develop sustainable utilisation, whilst maintaining or improving the economic status of local user groups.