IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/enreec/v77y2020i1d10.1007_s10640-020-00472-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimal Siting, Sizing, and Enforcement of Marine Protected Areas

Author

Listed:
  • H. J. Albers

    (University of Wyoming)

  • L. Preonas

    (University of Maryland)

  • T. Capitán

    (University of Wyoming)

  • E. J. Z. Robinson

    (University of Reading)

  • R. Madrigal-Ballestero

    (CATIE)

Abstract

The design of protected areas, whether marine or terrestrial, rarely considers how people respond to the imposition of no-take sites with complete or incomplete enforcement. Consequently, these protected areas may fail to achieve their intended goal. We present and solve a spatial bio-economic model in which a manager chooses the optimal location, size, and enforcement level of a marine protected area (MPA). This manager acts as a Stackelberg leader, and her choices consider villagers’ best response to the MPA in a spatial Nash equilibrium of fishing site and effort decisions. Relevant to lower income country settings but general to other settings, we incorporate limited enforcement budgets, distance costs of traveling to fishing sites, and labor allocation to onshore wage opportunities. The optimal MPA varies markedly across alternative manager goals and budget sizes, but always induce changes in villagers’ decisions as a function of distance, dispersal, and wage. We consider MPA managers with ecological conservation goals and with economic goals, and identify the shortcomings of several common manager decision rules, including those focused on: (1) fishery outcomes rather than broader economic goals, (2) fish stocks at MPA sites rather than across the full marinescape, (3) absolute levels rather than additional values, and (4) costless enforcement. Our results demonstrate that such naïve or overly narrow decision rules can lead to inefficient MPA designs that miss economic and conservation opportunities.

Suggested Citation

  • H. J. Albers & L. Preonas & T. Capitán & E. J. Z. Robinson & R. Madrigal-Ballestero, 2020. "Optimal Siting, Sizing, and Enforcement of Marine Protected Areas," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 77(1), pages 229-269, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:77:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10640-020-00472-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00472-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10640-020-00472-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10640-020-00472-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Diego Herrera & Alexander Pfaff & Juan Robalino, 2019. "Impacts of protected areas vary with the level of government: Comparing avoided deforestation across agencies in the Brazilian Amazon," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 116(30), pages 14916-14925, July.
    2. Philippe Delacote & Arild Angelsen, 2015. "Reducing Deforestation and Forest Degradation: Leakage or Synergy?," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 91(3), pages 501-515.
    3. Smith, Martin D. & Sanchirico, James N. & Wilen, James E., 2009. "The economics of spatial-dynamic processes: Applications to renewable resources," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 57(1), pages 104-121, January.
    4. Albers, Heidi J. & Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z., 2011. "The Trees and the Bees: Using Enforcement and Income Projects to Protect Forests and Rural Livelihoods Through Spatial Joint Production," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 40(3), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Jon G. Sutinen & Peder Andersen, 1985. "The Economics of Fisheries Law Enforcement," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 64(4), pages 387-397.
    6. Albers, H.J. & Robinson, E.J.Z., 2013. "A review of the spatial economics of non-timber forest product extraction: Implications for policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 87-95.
    7. Albers, H.J., 2010. "Spatial modeling of extraction and enforcement in developing country protected areas," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 165-179, April.
    8. Juan Robalino & Alexander Pfaff & Laura Villalobos, 2017. "Heterogeneous Local Spillovers from Protected Areas in Costa Rica," Journal of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(3), pages 795-820.
    9. Erik O. Sterner & Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson & H. J. Albers, 2018. "Location choice for renewable resource extraction with multiple non-cooperative extractors: a spatial Nash equilibrium model and numerical implementation," Letters in Spatial and Resource Sciences, Springer, vol. 11(3), pages 315-331, October.
    10. George J. Stigler, 1974. "The Optimum Enforcement of Laws," NBER Chapters, in: Essays in the Economics of Crime and Punishment, pages 55-67, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Pfaff, Alexander & Robalino, Juan & Lima, Eirivelthon & Sandoval, Catalina & Herrera, Luis Diego, 2014. "Governance, Location and Avoided Deforestation from Protected Areas: Greater Restrictions Can Have Lower Impact, Due to Differences in Location," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 7-20.
    12. Sanchirico, James N. & Wilen, James E., 2001. "A Bioeconomic Model of Marine Reserve Creation," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 257-276, November.
    13. Vanessa M. Adams & Gwenllian D. Iacona & Hugh P. Possingham, 2019. "Weighing the benefits of expanding protected areas versus managing existing ones," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(5), pages 404-411, May.
    14. Satoshi Yamazaki & Eriko Hoshino & Budy P. Resosudarmo, 2015. "No-take marine reserves and illegal fishing under imperfect enforcement," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 59(3), pages 334-354, July.
    15. Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z. & Albers, Heidi J. & Busby, Gwenlyn M., 2013. "The impact of buffer zone size and management on illegal extraction, park protection, and enforcement," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 96-103.
    16. Nøstbakken, Linda, 2008. "Fisheries law enforcement--A survey of the economic literature," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 293-300, May.
    17. Smith, Martin D. & Wilen, James E., 2003. "Economic impacts of marine reserves: the importance of spatial behavior," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 183-206, September.
    18. Milliman, Scott R., 1986. "Optimal fishery management in the presence of illegal activity," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 363-381, December.
    19. Paul Ferraro & Merlin Hanauer, 2011. "Protecting Ecosystems and Alleviating Poverty with Parks and Reserves: ‘Win-Win’ or Tradeoffs?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 48(2), pages 269-286, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Heidi J. Albers, 2022. "Protected Area Network Expansion and Management: Economics to improve conservation outcomes," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(4), pages 955-972, December.
    2. Keles, Derya & Delacote, Philippe & Pfaff, Alexander & Qin, Siyu & Mascia, Michael B., 2020. "What Drives the Erasure of Protected Areas? Evidence from across the Brazilian Amazon," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    3. Jensen, Frank & Nøstbakken, Linda, 2016. "A corporate-crime perspective on fisheries: liability rules and non-compliance," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 21(3), pages 371-392, June.
    4. Nøstbakken, Linda, 2008. "Fisheries law enforcement--A survey of the economic literature," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 293-300, May.
    5. Brock, W. A. & Xepapadeas, A., 2015. "Modeling Coupled Climate, Ecosystems, and Economic Systems," Climate Change and Sustainable Development 206837, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    6. Delacote, Philippe & Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z. & Roussel, Sébastien, 2016. "Deforestation, leakage and avoided deforestation policies: A spatial analysis," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 192-210.
    7. Elizabeth J. Z. Robinson, 2004. "Wanted dead and alive: Are hunting and protection of endangered species compatible?," CSAE Working Paper Series 2004-20, Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford.
    8. Louis Hotte, 2005. "Natural-resource exploitation with costly enforcement of property rights," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 57(3), pages 497-521, July.
    9. Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2012. "Diffusion and Spatial Aspects," DEOS Working Papers 1232, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    10. Brock, William & Xepapadeas, Anastasios, 2010. "Pattern formation, spatial externalities and regulation in coupled economic-ecological systems," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(2), pages 149-164, March.
    11. Ehara, Makoto & Matsuura, Toshiya & Gong, Hao & Sokh, Heng & Leng, Chivin & Choeung, Hong Narith & Sem, Rida & Nomura, Hisako & Tsuyama, Ikutaro & Matsui, Tetsuya & Hyakumura, Kimihiko, 2023. "Where do people vulnerable to deforestation live? Triaging forest conservation interventions for sustainable non-timber forest products," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).
    12. Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z. & Albers, Heidi J. & Ngeleza, Guyslain & Lokina, Razack B., 2014. "Insiders, outsiders, and the role of local enforcement in forest management: An example from Tanzania," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 242-248.
    13. Schwartz, S. & Choumert-Nkolo, J. & Combes, J.-L. & Combes-Motel, P. & Kere, E., 2022. "Optimal protected area implementation under spillover effects," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    14. Sirén, Anders & Parvinen, Kalle, 2015. "A spatial bioeconomic model of the harvest of wild plants and animals," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 201-210.
    15. Albers, H.J. & Robinson, E.J.Z., 2013. "A review of the spatial economics of non-timber forest product extraction: Implications for policy," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 87-95.
    16. Domenico De Giovanni & Fabio Lamantia, 2018. "Dynamic Harvesting Under Imperfect Catch Control," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 176(1), pages 252-267, January.
    17. Robinson, Elizabeth J.Z. & Kumar, Ajay Mahaputra & Albers, Heidi J., 2009. "Optimal Enforcement and Practical Issues of Resource Protection in Developing Countries," RFF Working Paper Series dp-09-08-efd, Resources for the Future.
    18. Jean-Louis Combes & Pascale Combes Motel & Manegdo Ulrich Doamba & Youba Ndiaye, 2023. "Mining the forests: do protected areas hinder mining-driven forest loss in Sub-Saharan Africa?," Working Papers hal-04061084, HAL.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Additionality; Bio-economic model; Enforcement; Leakage; Nash equilibrium; No-take reserves; Park effectiveness; Reserve site selection; Spatial prioritization; Systematic conservation planning; Marine spatial planning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:77:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1007_s10640-020-00472-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.