In Tanzania, marine protected areas benefit the local economy
Multi-purpose marine protected areas (MPAs), which aim to reconcile local economic activity and biodiversity, remain little studied. In Tanzania, studies have shown that the standard of living of villagers living near or within MPAs has doubled compared to those living further away.
Antoine Leblois, InraeJulia Girard, University of Montpellier and Sébastien Desbureaux, University of Montpellier
Faced with the alarming collapse of marine biodiversity, multi-purpose marine protected areas (MPAs) seek to reconcile nature conservation with economic development.
Although these zones authorize certain human activities, they sometimes impose strict regulations to reduce the impact of fishing,aquaculture, shipping or other sectors on marine ecosystems. Their real effects, both on the environment and on local communities, remain debated and understudied.
Recent research in Tanzania sheds light on the long-term socio-economic effects of MPAs. It highlights the significant benefits for local populations, while underlining the persistent challenges for biodiversity protection.
Marine protected areas, poorly assessed
Marine biodiversity, which is constantly being degraded, is essential to the proper functioning of the oceans and their capacity to regenerate. This degradation has direct repercussions on the ecosystem services on which human populations depend, making it imperative to adopt sustainable policies that benefit both man and nature.
Among these policies, marine protected areas (MPAs) are zones that allow certain economic activities, such as fishing, while imposing stricter regulations than those in force outside.
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These restrictions, particularly on fishing, often give rise to fears that hinder the creation of these zones. Yet there is no solid evidence of negative effects on the surrounding economy. Existing studies, generally very local and based on short time series, offer only a fragmentary vision of the real impacts of their real impacts.
However, it is essential to document these impacts, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Tanzania, because of the major trade-offs between conservation objectives and economic development imperatives, which are often perceived as contradictory.
Countering the collapse of marine biodiversity
The coasts of the western Indian Ocean, particularly those of Tanzania, are a good illustration of the challenges facing marine resource management. These ecosystems are under increasing pressure from overexploitation and climate change, among other factors.
Since the 1980s, fish stocks have declined drastically due to overfishing by local and international fishing fleets, affecting the 4.2 million Tanzanians who depend on fishing for their livelihood. In response to this crisis, marine conservation initiatives emerged in the 1970s and expanded in the 1990s.
These initiatives include the creation of marine protected areas, which now integrate socio-economic activities such as beekeeping, agriculture and aquaculture, alongside conservation efforts.
What are the long-term effects?
An interdisciplinary group of international researchers, including marine ecologists, geographers, fisheries specialists and economists, has recently published a study based on highly detailed economic data to investigate the long-term effects of MPAs.
This research follows on from a study carried out in 2003, which revealed a very limited effect of MPAs in Tanzania 3 to 8 years after their creation. Two decades later, the researchers re-examined the initial data and reproduced the survey protocol in 24 villages located on the Tanzanian coast, at different distances from the MPAs. In each village, around thirty households were interviewed to characterize and assess their economic activities and standard of living.
Thanks to a statistical analysis method involving the construction of a comparable sample of units (in this case, villages) that have not benefited from the intervention (in this case, the implementation of protection, i.e. MPAs), this new study enriches the existing literature by analyzing longer-term effects than those usually documented, and formulates robust conclusions.
A 50% increase in the standard of living
The results of the study show a significant improvement in the standard of living of communities living near MPAs, which increases by 50% compared to villages further away. These economic benefits accrue to all residents, rich and poor alike.
Interestingly, this increase is not directly linked to an increase in fish catches, but to a diversification of economic activities, notably towards jobs in secondary and tertiary sectors, such as nature tourism. These findings call into question the assumption that the economic prosperity of local communities depends on flourishing marine biodiversity.
However, the sustainability of these benefits remains uncertain. Continued degradation of marine ecosystems could ultimately harm the entire tourism sector, with cascading negative effects on the local economy. To avoid this scenario, it is crucial to strengthen ecosystem protection within MPAs.
Strengthening biodiversity protection
Considering that fishing catches offer a good estimate of ecosystem quality, functionality and the presence of marine biomass, it seems that marine protected areas have not helped to increase it. Trends in catch per unit effort between 2003 and 2021 show no improvement in the state of the resource in protected areas.
Investing in biodiversity conservation could therefore prove to be an economically sound decision. The additional costs associated with stricter protection of flora and fauna are likely to be minimal compared to the long-term economic benefits that healthy marine ecosystems could generate. By bridging financial gaps and strengthening enforcement, MPAs would play a central role in creating a sustainable and prosperous economy.
Aleksandra Barczak, research engineer at Inrae, contributed to the writing of this article.
Antoine Leblois, Researcher, environmental and development economics, InraeJulia Girard, PhD student, University of Montpellier, University of Montpellier and Sébastien Desbureaux, Researcher, University of Montpellier
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