Marine protected areas in Costa Rica: How do artisanal fishers respond?

Madrigal-Ballestero, Róger; Albers, Heidi J.; Capitán, Tabaré; Salas, Ariana

Marine protected areas in Costa Rica: How do artisanal fishers respond?

Autores

Madrigal-Ballestero, Róger

Albers, Heidi J.

Capitán, Tabaré

Salas, Ariana

Descripción

Costa Rica is considering expanding their marine protected areas (MPAs) to conserve marine resources. Due to the importance of households’ responses to an MPA in defining the MPA’s ecological and economic outcomes, this paper uses an economic decision framework to interpret data from near-MPA household surveys to inform this policy discussion. The model and data suggest that the impact of expanding MPAs relies on levels of enforcement and onshore wages. If larger near-shore MPAs can produce high wages through increased tourism, MPA expansions could provide ecological benefits with low burdens to communities. Due to distance costs and gear investments, however, MPAs farther off-shore may place high burdens on off-shore fishers.

Palabras clave

AREAS MARINAS PROTEGIDAS, CONSERVACION, RECURSOS MARINOS, ECONOMÍA, PESCA ARTESANAL, ECOSISTEMA, RECURSOS COSTEROS, ECOLOGIA, CONDICIONES SOCIO-ECONOMICAS, COSTA RICA