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Law, custom and community-based natural resource management in Kubulau District (Fiji)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2010

PEPE CLARKE  and
STACY D. JUPITER
PEPE CLARKE
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society, 11 Ma'afu Street, Suva, Fiji Islands
STACY D. JUPITER*
Affiliation:
Wildlife Conservation Society, 11 Ma'afu Street, Suva, Fiji Islands
*
*Correspondence: Dr Stacy Jupiter Tel: +679 331 5174 Fax: +679 331 0178 Mob: +679 994 6272 e-mail: sjupiter@wcs.org
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Summary

National laws and institutions interact with local governance systems to encourage CBNRM in some cases while creating conflict in others. A case study of Kubulau District (Bua Province, Fiji) illustrates the challenges and successes of implementing traditional community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) within a pluralist legal and institutional context. In 2005, the communities of Kubulau established a network of protected areas, including 17 traditional closures (tabu), three no-take district marine reserves, a legally–declared forest reserve and a proposed forest reserve, managed under an integrated ‘ridge-to-reef’ plan. Marine and terrestrial areas in Kubulau illustrate synergies and discord between national laws and community management rules, and provide examples of management success and conflict. Key components influencing diverse management outcomes in Kubulau include (1) the legal status of customary resource tenure, (2) incorporation of local knowledge, traditions and priorities, (3) clearly articulated relationships between local decision-making processes and government regulation, and (4) perceived equity in distribution of management benefits. Legal and institutional reforms are proposed to improve management of natural resources in Fiji.

Keywords

community-based managementcustomFijilawnatural resourcesprotected areas
Type
THEMATIC SECTION: Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM): designing the next generation (Part 1)
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 37 , Issue 1: Thematic section. Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM): designing the next generation (Part 1) , March 2010 , pp. 98 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2010

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