SUBJECT: RE: Local biodiversity and conservation conflicts
AUTHOR: Rainer Muessner
DATE: 2nd April 2003

KEYWORDS: Local knowledge, conservation, legislation.

SUMMARY: The author acknowledges the fact that local people and their ecological knowledge should be integrated as much as possible in the local decision-making process, but highlights the fact that certain aspects of conservation are not negotiable according to national /international laws.


In reply to the contribution of Sandra Bell on local biodiversity and conservation conflicts I would like to express that I strongly support her comments to involve the local people and their knowledge more and integrate them in the local decision making process, except for some things mentioned in the last chapter.

Here is it written:

"Regulation of commercial fishers is more acceptable, but when local people want to take fish for their own consumption they feel it is their right to do so even at times of the year when fishing in banned. This is just as true in places where people can afford to buy non-local fish as in places where the fresh water fishery is a vital source of household subsistence."

Although local biodiversity conservation in practice means negotiating different (often confronting) opinions and participatory procedures that are very much "in fashion", the example of fishing at times of the year when it is banned should be out of the question (even if it touches the self-understanding of locals). In many cases different levels of regulations for local use of biodiversity and for third parties might be appropriate, but this should be defined by certain limits. This means that local conservationists should make clear what issues of biodiversity use are under negotations and the points that are not negotiable according to national/international laws.

As far as I know, the periods when fishing for specific fish in Europe is banned during the year overlap each other, so no one, even in areas where fish are "a vital source of household subsistence" should end up in trouble with a zero diet.

A contribution by:

Rainer Muessner
CIMAR
Rua do Campo Alegre, 823
4150 - 180, Porto
Portugal