Marine conservation must begin on land – Dialogue Earth

Report on the Critical Role of Secure Land Tenure for Sustainable Marine Conservation

1.0 Introduction: The Paradox in Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 14

Small-scale fishing communities are integral to the conservation of coastal and marine ecosystems, directly contributing to the objectives of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water). Globally, these communities engage in vital conservation activities, including the management of marine areas, monitoring of fish stocks, and restoration of critical habitats like reefs and mangroves. While international frameworks such as the UN Convention on Biological Diversity acknowledge their role, a fundamental contradiction persists. The recognition of communities’ rights to manage marine resources is not consistently matched by the legal protection of their right to the land they inhabit. This insecurity undermines the very foundation of community-based conservation and impedes progress across multiple SDGs.

2.0 Tenure Insecurity: A Barrier to Sustainable Development

The lack of secure land tenure for coastal communities presents a significant threat to sustainable development. It renders them vulnerable to displacement due to shifting government priorities or private sector development, directly conflicting with several Sustainable Development Goals.

• SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Evictions for tourism, aquaculture, and resource extraction projects destroy traditional livelihoods, pushing communities into poverty.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): Displacement from coastal lands disrupts access to fishing grounds, threatening local and regional food security.
• SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) & SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Indigenous peoples and local communities are disproportionately affected, exacerbating inequalities and undermining the goal of secure and sustainable human settlements.
• SDG 14 (Life Below Water): Tenure insecurity discourages long-term stewardship. Communities without a secure future have a diminished incentive to conserve marine resources for subsequent generations.

3.0 Global Manifestations of Land Tenure Insecurity

The displacement of coastal fishing communities is a widespread issue, documented across various regions:

• United Kingdom: The expansion of holiday homes threatens traditional fishing lifestyles.
• Mexico: The development of shrimp aquaculture has eroded communal land holdings.
• Philippines: Fishing villages with weak tenure face eviction for tourism projects.
• Cambodia & Indonesia: Communities have been displaced by land grabs and feel marginalized in conservation law.
• India: Longstanding fish drying and landing sites lack legal security.
• Senegal: A natural gas project poses a significant threat to local communities.

4.0 Framework for Action: Integrating Tenure Rights into Conservation Strategy

Achieving the global target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 requires meaningful involvement of local communities. This cannot be accomplished if conservation areas become “paper parks” where the “community” in community-based management ceases to exist due to displacement. A rights-based approach is essential.

4.1 Upholding International Standards and Human Rights

Effective conservation must align with established international guidelines that support community rights and contribute to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Key frameworks include:

1. UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Emphasizes the principle of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for any development or conservation initiatives affecting communities.
2. FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure: Provides a framework for securing tenure rights for land, fisheries, and forests.
3. FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Explicitly links tenure rights to the sustainability of the small-scale fishing sector.

Forced evictions conducted without due process and legal protection constitute a violation of international human rights and undermine the rule of law.

4.2 Policy Models for Securing Coastal Land Rights

Several countries offer legislative models that successfully integrate community land rights with coastal management, demonstrating that progress is achievable:

• The Philippines: Designates fisherfolk settlements as legally protected coastal zones.
• Fiji and Madagascar: Formally recognize customary land-sea tenure systems.
• South Africa: The Coastal Management Act prevents the privatization of the shoreline, ensuring public and community access.
• Kenya: The Climate Change Act of 2016 mandates public participation in decision-making processes.

5.0 Recommendations and The Way Forward

To ensure that marine conservation is both effective and equitable, secure land and marine tenure must be treated as a foundational prerequisite, not an afterthought. The following actions are recommended:

1. Governments: Must fulfill their duty to protect human rights by enacting and implementing laws that legally recognize customary land tenure for coastal communities. Tenure safeguards must be embedded into all policies related to marine conservation, economic development, and climate action.
2. Private Sector: Businesses and investors have a responsibility to respect community rights. This includes conducting due diligence and ensuring that projects do not lead to displacement or the violation of tenure rights.
3. Conservation Organizations: NGOs should only support initiatives that respect community rights and should actively assist communities in advocating for the legal recognition of their land and resource tenure.

Ultimately, sustainable marine conservation, as envisioned by SDG 14, begins on land. Securing the rights of coastal communities to their homes and lands is an enabling condition that empowers them to continue their role as long-term stewards of the ocean, ensuring a sustainable future for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  The article is fundamentally about marine conservation. It discusses the efforts of small-scale fishers to protect coastlines, monitor fish stocks, restore reefs and mangroves, and establish locally managed marine areas. It explicitly mentions the global target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, directly linking the discussion to the conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystems.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article highlights how insecure land rights and forced evictions undermine the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on fishing. The loss of land and access to coastal resources pushes these communities into vulnerability and poverty. The focus on securing tenure rights is directly related to ensuring access to economic resources and property, a key aspect of poverty eradication.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article addresses the inequalities faced by Indigenous peoples and local coastal communities. It points out that their rights, particularly customary land tenure, are often overlooked or brushed aside in favor of private companies or government development projects. It advocates for their inclusion and meaningful participation in decision-making processes to ensure their rights are respected and they are not left vulnerable.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The core issue of insecure land tenure and the eviction of fishing communities from their villages relates directly to sustainable human settlements. The article describes how communities are being displaced to make way for holiday homes, hotels, and ports, which undermines the security and sustainability of these coastal settlements. It calls for legal recognition of their homes and settlements.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article emphasizes the need for a strong legal and institutional framework to protect community rights. It calls for the legal recognition of customary tenure, meaningful and inclusive consultation, access to effective remedies, and the implementation of laws that ensure public participation. This connects to building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.4: By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property…

   The article’s central argument is the need for secure land tenure for coastal communities. It states, “their right to land – to live in their villages – is too often overlooked,” and provides examples from India, Cambodia, and the Philippines where insecure land rights leave communities vulnerable to eviction.

2. Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all…

   The article advocates for the “real involvement of Indigenous peoples and local communities” and ensuring that “fishers – women and men – have a real voice in decisions that determine their future.” This directly addresses the need for their inclusion in conservation and development planning.

3. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services…

   The threat of eviction and displacement of fishing communities from their villages for development projects like holiday homes and hotels directly relates to the security of their housing and settlements. The article argues that “Access and management rights to fishing grounds are fragile if the communities themselves have no safe, permanent place to live.”

4. Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts…

   The article describes how small-scale fishers “patrol locally managed marine areas, monitor fish stocks, and restore reefs and mangroves,” which are direct actions towards sustainably managing and protecting these ecosystems.

5. Target 14.5: By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas…

   The article explicitly mentions the updated and more ambitious version of this goal, stating that community management is essential to achieving the “globally agreed target to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030.”

6. Target 14.b: Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets.

   The entire article is centered on protecting the rights of small-scale fishers to their land and, by extension, their access to the sea. It argues that insecure land tenure undermines their ability to access and manage the coastal resources they depend on for their livelihoods.

7. Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.

   The article repeatedly calls for “meaningful, inclusive and continuous consultation before, during and after decisions that affect them are made” and references the principle of “free, prior and informed consent of affected communities.” It highlights Kenya’s 2016 Climate Change Act as an example of a law that provides for public participation.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 1.4: The article implies the relevance of Indicator 1.4.2 (Proportion of total adult population with secure tenure rights to land, with legally recognized documentation). The entire discussion revolves around the lack of legally recognized and secure land rights for coastal communities. The examples of the Philippines designating fisherfolk settlements as legally protected zones and South Africa’s Coastal Management Act preventing shoreline privatization are concrete policy actions whose impact could be measured by this indicator.
• Implied Indicator for Target 14.5: The article directly references the goal to protect 30% of the ocean, which aligns with Indicator 14.5.1 (Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas). However, it adds a qualitative dimension by warning against “paper parks,” suggesting that a simple measure of area is insufficient and that the effectiveness and meaningfulness of this protection, involving local communities, must also be assessed.
• Implied Indicator for Target 16.7: The article’s focus on “meaningful consultation processes” and ensuring communities “genuinely shape decisions” implies the use of an indicator like Indicator 16.7.2 (Proportion of population who believe decision-making is inclusive and responsive). The success of community-based management, as described, depends on the community’s “buy-in,” which is a direct reflection of their perception of inclusivity in the decision-making process.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: dialogue.earth