tions were in place that governed access
to the marine resources upon which local
livelihoods depended. However, social
change over the last 30 years (including
the concentration of ownership of access
to the fishery) has strained these institu-
tions and left them vulnerable to individ-
ual vested interests.
The following are some of the challenges
and opportunities that exist for long-term
conservation:
Q The cape is a small geographic area
and most fishers fish near the shore
facilitating monitoring. Communication
between resource users is facilitated by
the size of the town. In addition, most
of the fishing methods currently used
are non-predatory and relatively sus-
tainable, and therefore significant
change was not required of the fishers
in the MER management plan.
Q Traditional fishing methods have been
passed down from early indigenous
tribes to more recent settlers. Informal
institutions that governed beach seining
were later formalised and defined
when, where, how and who could fish.
These institutions could have provided
a strong foundation for long-term con-
servation efforts, but they have weak-
ened in recent years.
Q Half a millennia since colonisation, cul-
tural distinctions between different eth-
nic groups are still visible in Arraial do
Cabo. The municipality can almost be
mapped in terms of waves of immigra-
tion. Northern European descendants
live on Praia dos Anjos, southern
European descendants on Praia
Grande, descendants of African slaves
on Prainha and more recent immigrants
from the Northeast of Brazil are taking
over the hills surrounding the center.
The same factors that bond people
together in certain communities keep
the different communities from working
together towards a common goal.
Fishers repeatedly identified the long-
standing rivalries between the residents
of beaches and different ethic groups
as barriers for collaborative manage-
ment.
Policy Implications
Q History, culture and local identity can
reinforce or preclude the likelihood of
successful collaborative management.
Therefore, an analysis of the social
context within which these reserves are
to be created should be carried out in
order to better adapt management
structures to social realities.
Q Coastal communities may have
resource management regimes in place
that should be considered and respect-
ed when implementing Marine
Extractive Reserves. However, policy
makers and practioners should not
assume that local resource governing
institutions are robust. Social change
tests the resilience of these institutions
and they may need to be strengthened
or rebuilt. Although resource governing
institutions were in place in Arraial do
Cabo, they have weakened over time
and are no longer robust.
Q Coastal communities are not organic
wholes. Difference and diversity must
be taken into account as well as exist-
ing power structures that may distort
or constrain participation in resource
management regimes. If not, extractive
reserves could potentially reinforce
inequitable power structures instead of
promoting broad-based participatory
conservation.
Q It may be necessary to work with com-
munities and State representatives to
build their capacity to engage and
effectively participate in this new type
of resource management initiative. In
Brazil, the state does not have a history
History, cculture aand cconservation
