Ocean conflicts for whom and why? Participatory conflict assessment in the southeast coast of Brazil

Author(s):Show less -

Martins, I. M. ; Prado, D. S. ; Goncalves, L. R. ; Jacobi, P. R. ; Kefalas, H. C. ; Oliveira-Monteiro, N. R. ; Scachetti, R. E. ; Taddei, R. ; Vianna, L. P. ; Vivacqua, M. ; Quito, L. ; Vilches, V. N. ; Xavier, L. Y. ; Christofoletti, Ronaldo A.

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: MARITIME STUDIES; v. 22, n. 3, p. 14-pg., 2023-09-01.

Abstract

Conditions and pathways for transforming ocean conflicts require an understanding of the wide range of perspectives and values from all relevant stakeholders. In such cases, participatory assessment of conflicts can lead to knowledge co-production and collective learning. In this approach, the different views and the relevance assigned to conflicts are described by the involved stakeholders. In this paper, we aim to present a participatory assessment of conflicts involving small-scale fishing communities of Sao Paulo coastline, southeastern Brazil from the perspective of the multiple actors involved with the marine-coastal ecosystems of the region. The conflicts were assessed through an online survey and virtual participatory workshops. The survey was used to assess the conflicts related to the fishing activities in the territory. Participatory workshops were carried out to validate and complement the conflict assessment by the online survey and to establish a ranking of the most important conflicts by different stakeholders. A total of 132 conflicts were systematized into 12 categories, and the most relevant were as follows: legislation and surveillance, large-scale enterprises in coastal areas, pollution, fishing regulation, and fisheries management and planning. We argue that a collaborative identification of conflicts has the potential to refine and validate different interpretations and to foster social learning among the stakeholders that is essential to promote sustainability in the territory. This participatory process seeks to increase the social legitimacy for future marine spatial planning processes and to contribute with a novel process of coproducing transformative knowledge action. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 20/16029-1 - Strengthening the next generation of fisher's leaders for promoting small-scale fisheries transformations in Brazil
• Grantee: Ivan Machado Martins
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 19/24416-8 - Ocean sustainability pathways for achieving conflict transformation (OCEANS PACT)
• Grantee: Ronaldo Adriano Christofoletti
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 17/21797-5 - Beach management trends in Brazil: targeting social-ecological resilience
• Grantee: Luciana Yokoyama Xavier
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 20/16028-5 - Conflict transformation approaches to the sustainability pathways at the South, Central and North São Paulo state Marine Environmental Protection Areas - SP MEPAs
• Grantee: Deborah Santos Prado
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 18/00462-8 - Opportunities and weakeness of integrated coastal management on the São Paulo coast in the context of macro-metropolis governance
• Grantee: Leandra Regina Gonçalves Torres
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral