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Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Aceves-Bueno, E; Read, AJ; Cisneros-Mata, MA
Published in: Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology
August 2021

The illegal harvest of marine species within exclusive economic zones can have a strong impact on the function of local ecosystems and livelihoods of coastal communities. The complexity of these problems is often overlooked in the development of solutions, leading to ineffective and sometimes harmful social and environmental outcomes. One-dimensional, oversimplified perspectives can lead to conservation prescriptions that exacerbate social stressors. This is particularly critical in the case of international illegal trade of endangered, high-value species, which generate a value chain in which artisanal fishers are the first operational and often the weakest link of an intricate web. We examined 2 illegal fisheries, totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) and sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus and Holothuria floridana), in Mexico. Although these are 2 separate and independent fisheries, important ecological (resource condition, fishery impacts at the ecosystem level) and social (governance, markets) similarities improve understanding of their complexity. Our findings are relevant globally and show the need for interdisciplinary decision-making groups, community engagement, and the development of demand reduction measures.

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Published In

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology

DOI

EISSN

1523-1739

ISSN

0888-8892

Publication Date

August 2021

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1120 / 1129

Related Subject Headings

  • Mexico
  • Fisheries
  • Ecosystem
  • Ecology
  • Crime
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Aceves-Bueno, E., Read, A. J., & Cisneros-Mata, M. A. (2021). Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources. Conservation Biology : The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, 35(4), 1120–1129. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13674
Aceves-Bueno, Eréndira, Andrew J. Read, and Miguel A. Cisneros-Mata. “Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources.Conservation Biology : The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology 35, no. 4 (August 2021): 1120–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13674.
Aceves-Bueno E, Read AJ, Cisneros-Mata MA. Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources. Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology. 2021 Aug;35(4):1120–9.
Aceves-Bueno, Eréndira, et al. “Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources.Conservation Biology : The Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology, vol. 35, no. 4, Aug. 2021, pp. 1120–29. Epmc, doi:10.1111/cobi.13674.
Aceves-Bueno E, Read AJ, Cisneros-Mata MA. Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources. Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology. 2021 Aug;35(4):1120–1129.
Journal cover image

Published In

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology

DOI

EISSN

1523-1739

ISSN

0888-8892

Publication Date

August 2021

Volume

35

Issue

4

Start / End Page

1120 / 1129

Related Subject Headings

  • Mexico
  • Fisheries
  • Ecosystem
  • Ecology
  • Crime
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • 4104 Environmental management
  • 3109 Zoology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences