The conventional wisdom on coral reef management tells us that
decentralized management, where the government shares power with local
people, has both economic and ecological benefits. Three decades of
research show that grassroots, stakeholder-focused management allows
communities to collaboratively and sustainably manage reefs. "The
people" began demanding a seat at the table in the 1990s, with
decentralized management even becoming a requirement for international
donor-funded development projects. Nowadays, the inclusion of
stakeholders, with governments even asking for their help, is the norm.
Much of the literature on coral reef management has documented the
social and ecological impacts of an increasingly participatory style of
management all over the world. But it is yet to be seen how this
participatory management will deal with emerging threats such as climate
change.
Climate change is increasingly recognized as the greatest threat to
coral reefs, outweighing local stressors such as overfishing. Similarly,
global private multinational companies now hold concentrated power that
rivals that of many national governments. Companies' decisions made
without any input from local communities are increasingly impacting
global ecosystems, especially coral reefs. A puzzle has emerged for
decision-makers and stakeholders alike: How can participatory management
institutions respond to global environmental change? How does
conservation policy enable (or diminish) "the people" to have their
voices heard despite power differentials? This book poses some initial
answers to this puzzle, drawing on the academic discipline of public
policy.
We focus on democratic, participatory, stakeholder-driven forms of coral
reef management and how they are meeting new challenges in recent years.
It begins with the story of grassroots activists in the Cayman Islands
who organized the first-ever people's referendum against the incredibly
powerful interests of the international cruise industry to prevent
destruction of local reefs. How did this social movement contest power
so effectively? Then, our focus moves to another case where grassroots
activists, specifically the "Reef Guardians" of South Florida, organized
to fight reef destruction in American courts. This case is unique and
interesting as the American Federal Government was damaging reefs,
working at cross purposes with other branches of the federal government
tasked with protecting reefs. Why was the federal government violating
its own species protection laws? How did people's movements ensure
accountability? Thus, the book examines how subnational jurisdictions,
primarily states, manage immense coral reef resources through an
in-depth look at the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. This
sanctuary was the first stakeholder-driven marine-protected area in the
United States, one that is rapidly adapting to global change. Finally,
we examine how one of the most important democratic institutions in the
world, the United States Congress, is responding to global change in
American reefs. Congress's response to climate-driven coral bleaching is
interesting because lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are coming
together to make legislation on coral conservation despite the partisan
rancor and gridlock that characterized the Trump regime.
