An analysis of property rights in the Special Management Area (SMA) in Tonga

Taufa, Salome V. and Tupou , Mele and Malimali, Siola'a (2018) An analysis of property rights in the Special Management Area (SMA) in Tonga. Marine Policy, 95 . pp. 267-272. ISSN 0308-597X

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Abstract

The people of Tonga has been enjoying the abundance of its marine resources for centuries under an open access
regime with the absence of any traditional marine tenure system. But time has changed and the population has
increased, the fishing gears have been improved and more and more people are now moving from subsistence
fishing to commercial fishing. These changes are posing threats to the health of the marine resources in the
coastal areas causing a widespread concern among the coastal communities. This has led to the introduction and
implementation of one of the management tools considered to be effective in combating the increased threats
faced by the communities and the marine resources; the Special Management Area (SMA). To better understand
the effectiveness of the SMAs, there is a need to understand the elements that makes it effective by analyzing the
different characteristics of property rights within the SMA. These property right characteristics were proposed by
Schlager and Ostrom and are employed for the analysis of the SMAs. The analysis provides an insight into the
different elements and factors that contribute to the effective implementation of SMAs. Understanding the
characteristics of property rights will contribute to strengthening of SMAs and improving of the benefits to the
communities. It will certainly provide a basis for any review required for the SMAs.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Co-management Tragedy of the commons Sticks in the bundle Marine resource management Coastal community Coastal marine resources Open access
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences S Agriculture > SH Aquaculture. Fisheries. Angling
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Marine Studies
Depositing User:	Salome Taufa
Date Deposited:	05 Oct 2018 02:42
Last Modified:	05 Oct 2018 02:42
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11080

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