Program 7: Policy Development, Institutions and Governance of Coral Reefs
Program leader: Dr. Simon Foale
Program 7, launched in 2009, addresses the multi-faceted challenges of improving coral reef governance. Because it is people, rather than fish or coral that must be managed, this multi-disciplinary research program covers cultural, political, historical, economic, and institutional aspects of coral reef management at multiple scales. Program 7’s activities are global, with a major focus on the Great Barrier Reef, Melanesia and the Coral Triangle, and extending to Asia and other countries in the Indo-Pacific.
Program 7 scientists have a strong interest in the role of reefs in human well-being. Our research builds understandings of global and regional political, economic and environmental factors, such as trade and climate change, which influence development in coral reef-reliant countries. At national to local scales, our research focuses on the cultural, social and political dimensions of resource use and coral reef governance, both contemporary and historical. To address this broad research agenda, Program 7 researchers tend to be strongly interdisciplinary, spanning from anthropology to ecology.
- We have a commitment to applied research, and through partnerships with NGOs and national governments, are engaged in institutional strengthening and capacity-building in many countries. For example, in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, Simon and co-workers are developing locally relevant and culturally appropriate educational resources for improving coral reef fishery management. Our research provides policy-relevant and practical guidance on the use of taboos (periodic reef closures) for achieving fisheries management outcomes across the Pacific, and on implementation of contemporary governance frameworks, such as ecosystem-based fisheries management in Tanzania.
Our research is organised around three core themes:
1. Social, political and cultural aspects of marine resource use and management
2. Institutions and governance
3. Sustainable livelihoods and food security
Research highlights
Foale, S., Adhuri, D., Alino, P., Allison, E, H., Andrew, N., Cohen, P., Evans, L., Fabinyi, M., Fidelman, P., Gregory, C., Stacey, N., Tanzer, J., and Weeratunge, N., In Press. Food security in the coral triangle. Marine Policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2012.05.033
http://www.coralcoe.org.au/news/food-security-at-risk-in-coral-countries
Cohen P, Evans L, and Mills M., 2012. Social networks supporting governance of coastal ecosystems in Solomon Islands. Conservation Letters. 5: 376-386
Fabinyi, M. 2012. Historical, Cultural and Social Perspectives on Luxury Seafood Consumption in China. Environmental Conservation. 39: 83-92
Evans, L, S., Cherrett, N., and Pemsl, D., 2011. Co-management interventions in developing countries: a global meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Management. 92: 1938–1949
Fabinyi, M. 2011. Fishing for Fairness: Poverty, Morality and Marine Resource Management in the Philippines. ANU E-Press
Foale, S., Cohen, P., Januchowski, S., Wenger, A., and Macintyre, M., 2011. Tenure and taboos: origins and implications for fisheries in the Pacific. Fish and Fisheries 12: 357-369
