Stakeholder consensus suggests strategies to promote sustainability in an artisanal fishery with high rates of poaching and marine mammal bycatch

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on Journal blog. Achieving conservation and natural resource management goals requires changes in human behaviour, which involves understanding perspectives how people might adopt new values, approaches or practices (Nielsen et al., 2021; Stankey & Shindler, 2006; Stoll-Kleemann, 2019). Successful outcomes may depend identifying viewpoint areas of consensus disagreement among different stakeholders proposed policy interventions, these relate to historical cultural contexts, underlying values. When attempting persuade change behaviours, especially relation illegal biological use, interventions need be socially acceptable (though see Brockington (2004) limitations argument), so that communities feel they share goals, will benefit from supporting governance (Brooks 2013; Cooney 2017; Robinson, 2011). Community supported can potentially effective motivating development more sustainable practices, disengagement wildlife trade (IWT) (Biggs 2016; Fukushima 2021), illegal, unreported unregulated (IUU) fishing (Widjaja Biological issues, such as IWT IUU fishing, affect many species Russia, but are under researched (Kühl 2009; van Uhm Siegel, Vilkov Tian, 2019; World Wildlife Fund, 2020). Within Caspian Sea, fisheries severely depleted due a history overharvesting loss fish spawning grounds dam building other infrastructure (Harkonen 2012; Lagutov Lagutov, Strukova 2016). These declines have been exacerbated by weakened environmental economic collapse stemming breakup Soviet Union 1990s (Caspian Environment Programme, 2002; Mammadov Raymakers, 2002). Currently threatens all economically important sturgeon (Acipenseridae) with extinction causes high mortality endemic endangered Seal Pusa caspica Dmitrieva seals experience rates bycatch ghost nets, caught nontarget species, sometimes targeted their blubber pelts, traded valuable commodities local markets (Dmitrieva Ermolin Svolkinas, 2016, 2018; Svolkinas The seal population has declined than 90% since start 20th century, around 168,000 individuals at present 2015; Goodman Dmitrieva, Harkonen 2012). was listed Endangered IUCN 2008, included Red Data Books countries 2020 (Kazakhstan Government, 2020; Russian 2020a). There is an urgent reduce fisheries-related develop lasting solutions address issues products. activity particularly Republic Dagestan, Federation, where combination weak governance, inconsistent law enforcement, corruption, absence alternative sources income extremely prices caviar (Gadziev Vaisman, 1997), provide incentives involvement organised crime (Ermolin Wyatt Illegal associated artisanal, small boat fishery, based disadvantaged coastal (Figure 1; Participant attitudes towards biodiversity poorly understood, whether fishers incentivised activities bycatch. Understanding views topics critical importance, because precursors predictors stakeholder behaviour intentions (Liu Globally, key threats marine biodiversity, driving vertebrates (Agnew Sas-Rolfes increasing fishery anti-IWT agencies engage stakeholders, including private sector, nongovernmental organisations global, regional levels, part responses (Cooney Food Agricultural Organisation United Nations, 2001; Widjaja To date emphasis most debates top-down through strengthening regulation enforcement (compliance deterrence) militarisation (Duffy potential importance action community level routes leveraging also recently recognised 2017). However, details community-level should implemented, impact remain uncertain, examples actions largely lacking (Battista Here we employ Q methodology assess viewpoints aim identify (consensus disagreement) needed IWT. We report workshops barriers reducing Dagestani artisanal fisheries. This study implications not just Caspian, showing insights into gained, it relevant broader mitigation measures regions leading solutions. focal area selected previous work authors Dagestan (50,370 km2; Figure 2) semi-autonomous republic south bordering Sea flanked eastern edge Caucasus mountains, 3.18 million (Russian 2020b). coast extends Kuma river north Azeri border south. Most communities, mixture tracing ancestry 18th/19th Century European settlers, Muslim, mixed ethnic Dagestanis (Kisriev Ware, 2005; Sokolsky 2008). State implemented via Federal Fisheries Agency offices issuing quotas licences, monitoring catches enforcing spatial temporal police, control services participate enforcement. Legal (working state management) operate offshore rivers, targeting native Cyprinidea (carp), Siluridae (catfish) Esocidae (pike) introduced Mugilidae (mullet) food (Abdusamadov Karpinsky, 2005), locally regionally. use small, open, aluminium wooden boats 4–8 m, gillnets mesh size up 90 mm. Dagestan's coastline subdivided northern, middle southern administrative 2), minimum 723, 374 200 fishermen respectively. Fishing particular significance northern arid steppe region soil salinity lack water limit agriculture horticulture. Communities diversified activity, some supplementing incomes horticulture animal husbandry. producing enterprises controlled producers, who hold licences lease fishermen, crews boats. Producers variously reside locally, distant cities Makhachkala, Kizlyar. number licensed catch 63 2015 28 2019 (Dagestan 2015, reasons decline documented, likely multifactorial, reduction viability earning living fishing. Enterprises granted rights 10 years tendering process overseen Agency. Targeting sturgeons trading products however, only partially corruption limited resources (World 2020), allowing sector outside system. It consists approximately 400 self-made, boats, typically 8 m length 1), working distances ranging 5 300 km shore, 30 deep, using large (greater mm) hook lines 2013). peaks during spring (late March early June) autumn (September December) following seasonal migrations. occur simultaneously within same community. ‘Illegal traders’ openly Such traders purchase carcases processed (e.g. pelts hats items made oil), middlemen sell them street marketplaces selling clothing goods (Svolkinas Some market stall holders legal product oil often agricultural produce). Sturgeon extensively region, throughout Russia internationally First developed psychology 1920s, method (Watts Stenner, 2013) increasingly used (Cairns 2014; Chamberlain Zabala 2018), sensitive issues. assumes while there topic population, tend cluster certain themes. Using statistical factor analysis qualitative semistructured interviews, identifies clusters, alongside divergence groups (typically 40–60) respondents (Hamadou does make claims about relative distribution wider populations. studies creating statements each capture feature topics. Following standard guidelines (Brown, 1980; Watts, Watts extracted initial set 202 related interviews collected 2016), literature reviews, scientific articles, reports international grey literature, conference materials, newspaper articles social media debates. were indexed six question themes: (1) ‘economic value seals’; (2) ‘perception resources’; (3) ‘perceptions authorities’, (4) communities’; (5) regulations’; (6) ‘understanding, perceptions knowledge seals’ reduced 51 (Table 1) removing overlapping meaning, those lacked clarity, judged lower priority After translation English professional translator, pilot four university students, minor amendments eight statements, before finalised. Participants chosen purposively, main exist, across cross-section stakeholders. Our participants (legal, leisure), owners, managers 2). employed Agriculture Organization (FAO) criteria Unreported Unregulated’ (Food 2001). assigned research (producers), claimed complied rules, category. admitted sturgeons, over mm, no-take without quotas, inaccurately reporting activities, Fifty carried out between September December 2018, fisher homes (23), restaurants (10), workplaces (9), wharfs (4), settings (2). Thirty-one rural settlements, seven capital city Izberbash, three Kizlyar one Kaspyisk. In line protocols, recruited settlements purposive snowball sampling, aimed capturing principle (Biernacki Waldorf, 1981; Rastogi biases sampling partitioned survey corresponding (21 interviews), (20 interviews) (9 reflecting distributions intensity multiple visits identified two quays (sites lost quota still chose illegally). majority quays. regions, no identified. villages located restricted zone (semiclosed Federation along borders access nonresidents, Russians foreigners alike), requiring permit issued guard service enter. areas, transect walks launching spots, trailers, gear tractors fishing-related vehicles (or tracks ground). People approached spots asked research. Fish stalls, pelt intermediaries recommendations. public (fisheries producers) workplaces. illiterate, assumed verbal informed consent appropriate. Prior interviewing, allowed 2 h familiarise themselves project information, recorded voice recorder. For participant, interview materials supplemented sociodemographic information. As criminal informants choose had any involvement, did cross-check responses. Research diverse background, Kumyks, Nogays, Dargins, Russians, Avars Laks. language interviewing fluent language. approved Ethics Review Committee School Earth Environment, University Leeds (ref: AREA 17-036). LS appropriate visa done support University. No permits required carrying zones, special them. assistant October 2018 (number: 03/И No. 941, valid 20 19 October, appropriate, brought locations zones. (48) conducted LS, speaker. Two additional assistant, holding necessary permit, could travel areas. With Q, sort grid order agreement. Statements read loud illiterate participants. began asking piles (agree, disagree neutral) and, this, rank-order quasi-normal flattened forced choice scale +5 (most agree) −5 disagree), assured statement considered S1). Flattened concourses containing 40–50 scoring grids generated individual termed ‘Q sorts’. PQ Method software, version 2.35 Microsoft Windows (Schmolck, 2015), analyse calculate intercorrelation pairs sorts. principal component (PCA) classify (independent variables) sorts (dependent variables). PCA reduces factors, similarly, loaded onto similar views. yielded factors eigenvalue >1. first explained 49% variation sample, eigenvalues 17.4150, 4.5905 2.0894 Including fourth added 3% 2.03, retain designated ‘Nostalgists’, ‘Optimists’ ‘Pessimists’ (see Section 3.2, definitions). addition, retaining significant loading rule, Humphrey's rule (partially), Scree test (Tables S1–S4; Equations S1 S2; S2). performed R package nFactors (Raiche Magis, automatic flagging varimax rotation. assignments reviewed, three-participant strong association flagged manually. ‘ideal’ derived arrays data facilitate thematic interpretation viewpoints. During postsorting comments ranking choices, including, why strongly agreed, disagreed neutral (Benitez-Capistros digital recorder, created verbatim transcripts, 1005 coded NVivo wherein choices (QSR International Pty Ltd., 2018). Further information factor, scores given Table 1. full 1, column Con), placement statistically degree, underpinning z-scores. example, 15 score −2 −3 third. show pairwise PCF), diverged 3, further assessed correlated profiles age, education compared differences nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis tests. preliminary analysis, help frame themes exploration, engaged explore conservation, regarding livelihoods, protected (MPAs) One workshop experts held Makhachkala fishers, Staroterechnoye 2019, Sulak 2019. expert drawn S5). fishers' workshops, invited participants, (illegal legal), crew, skippers total 40 both cases, opening round table discussions perceived seals, role livelihoods process. Written minutes taken workshop, analysed software analysis. Thematic coding produce synthesis discussion points summarised solutions, according opinion average age 42 (range 18–71 years, SD = 12.3; S6). median 45 (Nostalgists), 46 (Optimists) 32 (Pessimists) respectively, difference nonsignificant (Kruskal–Wallis H test, H(2) 4.34, p 0.11). values Nostalgists, Optimists Pessimists 12, 11, 11 respectively 1.1, 0.57), again difference. time spent 11.86 4–14 2.26). north, rank sum 5.27, 0.07). proportion highest (78%; S3). stated fished illegally. Participation appeared less frequently reported (8% vs. 92% legal; S4a). Pessimists' occupations comprised intermediary Nostalgists professions 3; S4c). dominant greatest frequency south, 78% versus 11% Pessimist S3b). occurred sector. describe detail. Where direct quotes, informant factor. Numbers parentheses refer number, followed normalised parentheses, S5) defined consideration health ecosystem overfishing, pollution failed collapsed lie return ‘Soviet’ style planned economy regulation. Twenty-seven backgrounds S4). environment currently healthy (ST38, −5). viewpoint, others, concerned spills rigs damage wellbeing (ST5, +3) commercially harvested (ST7, −3) hunting longer issued. Likewise, abundance stocks declining overfishing (ST40, 4), hydroelectric construction (ST26, +2). Seals (ST9, +4), being valued flagship rare (ST1, benefits humans commodities. unaware (ST4, 0) happens accidently (ST47, 0). Current ineffectual (ST29, −4), sufficient (ST44, failing socioeconomic needs (ST41, −3). perceive widespread producers comply rules (ST45, −2). A 51-year-old described situation fisheries: ‘I am sure do follow [fishing rules]. I would if fisher’. contrast viewpoints, agreed least punishments harsh enough (ST17, +1). ‘If jobs paid well stop fishing’ (ST51, +5), emphasised linked akin Soviet-type planning factory industrial restocking facilities. general, welcomed (ST31, +2), MPAs (ST18, +3), enforced legislation (ST33, +4). S6) view create fisheries, greater decentralised governance. (13) Compared viewed positive light agreement ‘the threat extinction’ participant mentioned Kazakhstan abundant, fished. Optimist accidentally comparatively addressing poaching stronger others allocated co-management (ST28, scientists (ST42, consider rule-abiding (ST12, idea exploit ordinary (ST34, −5), salaries fair catch. +4) offer record infringements. aware poachers operating cases. posed issue (ST21, −4 ST24, safe discuss depth, fears harassment positively (ST48, −3; ST40, sought achieve balanced small-scale businesses, economy, opposed large-scale interventions. S7) very pessimistic current improvements. considers drastic protect sceptical effectively. agrees closure Nine ‘everybody take what gone soon’ (ST35, normative statement, captured essence protection something ought to, cope unfavourable situation. resource, establishment supp