The net buyback and ban in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

摘要

The gill and trammel net ban and buyback were two of the most politically sensitive management reforms in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. The purpose of the net ban was to protect parrotfish populations, reduce by-catch, and minimize gear-habitat interactions whereas the aim of the buyback was to mitigate the economic hardship imposed by the ban. This paper describes the development of the net fishery and management efforts to protect parrotfish populations and coral reef habitats focusing on the performance of the ban and buyback. The study drew from 43 in-person interviews with select user groups and secondary sources such as government reports and databases.Our analysis suggests that these reforms had limited success. While local fishery managers promoted a participatory approach, shifting policy directives, implementation delays, limited buyback assistance, and high forgone earnings had unforeseen consequences. Most net fishermen substituted the banned nets with 'modified' small mesh seine nets, which were opposed by most stakeholders since they felt that their use defeated the purpose of the ban. The study also found that, with the exception of curtailing the dumping of spoiled fish on land, conflicting views about the health of parrotfish and surgeonfish stocks, excessive by-catch levels, and damaging gear-habitat interactions remained. Most net fishermen believed that the ban had advanced resource conservation; however, other stakeholders had more guarded or skeptical views. The Crucian experience with these reforms suggests that incentive-based regulatory approaches deserve greater attention as a means to improve management outcomes and minimize distrust in the management process.