Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach
Abstract Protected Areas (PAs) are spatially representative management tools that impose various levels of protection for conservation purposes. As spatially regulated places, ensuring compliance with the rules represents a key element of effective management and positive conservation outcomes. Wild...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Crime Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-021-00145-w |
| _version_ | 1818597665775026176 |
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| author | Damian Weekers Gohar Petrossian Lauric Thiault |
| author_facet | Damian Weekers Gohar Petrossian Lauric Thiault |
| author_sort | Damian Weekers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Protected Areas (PAs) are spatially representative management tools that impose various levels of protection for conservation purposes. As spatially regulated places, ensuring compliance with the rules represents a key element of effective management and positive conservation outcomes. Wildlife crime, and in particular poaching, is a serious global problem that undermines the success of PAs. This study applies a socio-ecological approach to understanding the opportunity structure of illegal recreational fishing (poaching) in no-take zones in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We use Boosted Regression Trees to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of poaching risk within no-take Marine National Park zones. The results show that five risk factors account for nearly three quarters (73.6%) of the relative importance for poaching in no-take zones and that temporally varying conditions influence risk across space. We discuss these findings through the theoretical lens of Environmental Criminology and suggest that law enforcement strategies focus on reducing the negative outcomes associated with poaching by limiting the opportunity of would-be offenders to undertake illegal activity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:51:25Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0c61366db8f84619b25c3cc3df36e74f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2193-7680 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T11:51:25Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crime Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0c61366db8f84619b25c3cc3df36e74f2022-12-21T22:32:41ZengBMCCrime Science2193-76802021-05-0110111410.1186/s40163-021-00145-wIllegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approachDamian Weekers0Gohar Petrossian1Lauric Thiault2Great Barrier Reef Marine Park AuthorityDepartment of Criminal Justice, John Jay College of Criminal JusticeNational Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, USR 3278, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison des OcéansAbstract Protected Areas (PAs) are spatially representative management tools that impose various levels of protection for conservation purposes. As spatially regulated places, ensuring compliance with the rules represents a key element of effective management and positive conservation outcomes. Wildlife crime, and in particular poaching, is a serious global problem that undermines the success of PAs. This study applies a socio-ecological approach to understanding the opportunity structure of illegal recreational fishing (poaching) in no-take zones in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We use Boosted Regression Trees to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of poaching risk within no-take Marine National Park zones. The results show that five risk factors account for nearly three quarters (73.6%) of the relative importance for poaching in no-take zones and that temporally varying conditions influence risk across space. We discuss these findings through the theoretical lens of Environmental Criminology and suggest that law enforcement strategies focus on reducing the negative outcomes associated with poaching by limiting the opportunity of would-be offenders to undertake illegal activity.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-021-00145-wIllegal fishingPoachingEnvironmental criminologySituational crime preventionGreat Barrier Reef Marine ParkMarine protected areas |
| spellingShingle | Damian Weekers Gohar Petrossian Lauric Thiault Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach Crime Science Illegal fishing Poaching Environmental criminology Situational crime prevention Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Marine protected areas |
| title | Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach |
| title_full | Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach |
| title_fullStr | Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach |
| title_short | Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach |
| title_sort | illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas a situational approach |
| topic | Illegal fishing Poaching Environmental criminology Situational crime prevention Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Marine protected areas |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-021-00145-w |
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