Women often left out of marine protection efforts, study shows

What you probably already know: Marine conservation largely relies upon government-established regions known as marine protected areas, or MPAs. Human activity is limited or fully banned in these zones — locations range from open ocean and coastline to estuaries and some freshwater habitats — to safeguard against threats like overfishing, pollution, and climate change. Thousands of MPAs currently exist around the world, covering roughly 8% of the Earth’s oceans, though only a fraction are listed as highly protected. Aside from protecting the ocean, marine conservation is also key to supporting the estimated 600 million livelihoods that rely on fisheries and aquaculture worldwide by establishing sustainable fishing practices. Designing or expanding an MPA requires input from local communities, but the planning process often leaves out half of the conversation.

Why? “Currently, there is inherent gender blindness in the establishment and management of MPAs,” according to a new study published in the journal Marine Policy. This is because MPA planning tends to focus on deeper waters, where the men of many populations fish from boats, while leaving out shoreline ecosystems, which tend to be more important to women. Study leader Sara Bonilla Anariba told The Smithsonian that one example is in the Mesoamerican reef of Central America, where women gather invertebrates along the beach. Indigenous iTaukei women in Fiji are the main fishers in mangrove forests and seagrass beds, which serve as nurseries for many fish and invertebrate species. Also, in Alaska fisheries, most women are involved in nearshore salmon fishing.

“Women own more than 30% of commercial set net permits [in Bristol Bay],” said Anna Lavoie, a former NOAA Fisheries scientist who led a 2019 study. “In Alaska, women are very proactive in promoting conservation and sustainability. There should be avenues for incorporating women’s knowledge into resource management. They are actively engaged in fisheries but there is very little information available about their experience and contributions."

What it means: Failing to implement gender-sensitive strategies in marine conservation project planning can negatively impact women who rely on shoreline ecosystems for food and income. Marine species also stand to lose, since many spend at least part of their lives in coastal environments. When MPAs only look at a man’s fishing practices, they can wrongly assume that coastal areas like mangrove forests have no economic value and should be protected as “no-take” zones where fishing and collecting are banned. Excluding local women from the conversation can also leave out their important insights on fish health, as many women around the world are responsible for cleaning and preparing fish for commercial sale.

What happens now? Urgency is important as the clock ticks on the United Nations’ goal to protect 30% of the Earth by 2030. This entails a two-pronged approach that not only focuses on the total coverage area but also on the quality of protection. The latter requires community support and active involvement, which means women are critically important to the success of global marine protection initiatives. As part of the new study, Bonilla Anariba created a self-assessment tool to help MPA managers improve gender equity in marine conservation so that protected areas can be as effective as possible. This tool helps identify gaps in data by asking 15 questions, including whether a plan considers the different resource needs of women and men and if both female and male stakeholders have an equal role in decision-making. Bonilla Anariba said a few organizations have already expressed an interest in using the tool, so the next step will be evaluating its real-world effectiveness.