Marine dependent livelihoods and resilience to environmental change:A case study of Anguilla

Forster, J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6729-9965, Lake, I.R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4407-5357, Watkinson, A.R. and Gill, J.A. (2014) Marine dependent livelihoods and resilience to environmental change:A case study of Anguilla. Marine Policy, 45. pp. 204-212. ISSN 0308-597X

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Abstract

There is increasing concern over the consequences of environmental change for people and communities that depend on already fragile marine resources, given the mounting evidence of sustained over-exploitation and climate change impacts on marine systems. In order to explore the potential social resilience of marine-dependent livelihoods to environmental change, interviews with fishers and marine-based tourism operators in the Caribbean island of Anguilla were undertaken, to identify the impacts of hurricane events on marine livelihoods, the perceptions of resource-users and their potential adaptability to future change. For both sectors of resource-users, there is evidence that they have diversified livelihoods to achieve financial security, which may provide resilience to future climate related impacts or resource variability. In addition, specific behavioural changes that have been developed following previous hurricane events, e.g. removal of fish pots during hurricane months, or bringing boats to shore, indicate fishers' flexibility to changing conditions. However, strong personal and cultural attachment to occupations, particularly among fishers, may hinder resilience. Additionally, the reliance of all of these marine resource-users on the climate-dependent tourism industry may undermine their capacity to cope with future environmental change. Many of these problems are common throughout the Caribbean, as thousands of marine-dependent livelihoods are vulnerable to marine degradation and climate change impacts. Urgent attention is therefore required to support the development of adaptive, sustainable management of marine resources that may enhance resilience to environmental change.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: caribbean,environmental change,marine livelihoods,marine resource-use,resilience,vulnerability,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Organisms and the Environment
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Groups > Global Environmental Justice
University of East Anglia Schools > Faculty of Science > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Social Sciences
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Use of the Seas
Faculty of Social Sciences > Research Centres > Water Security Research Centre
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Marine Knowledge Exchange Network
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Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 13 Jan 2014 12:12
Last Modified: 17 May 2023 01:07
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/47117
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpol.2013.10.017

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