Characterizing social-ecological transformation trajectories in the Western Indian Ocean
Abstract
Abstract Marine social-ecological systems (SES) face unprecedented pressures, demanding approaches designed to create more sustainable interactions within and between those systems. Transformation theory offers frameworks for understanding and documenting systemic change, but its empirical testing in marine contexts remains limited. This study analyzes three case studies involving marine transformations in the Western Indian Ocean region: bycatch mitigation in South African fisheries, fisheries co-management in Tanzania, and regional pelagic fisheries’ management. Each process was documented following Olsson's framework (preparing for change, navigating transition, and building resilience) and characterized using selected transformation attributes. Our findings show that the type of outcome a transformation produces is closely linked to its entry point (practices, views, and structures). Practices-oriented transformation achieved rapid, measurable gains, but limited spillover into underlying values. Views-oriented transformation achieved broader, deeper change across dimensions but unfolded more slowly. Structures-oriented transformation, in the absence of shared values among actors, produced the shallowest and most contested change. Local and national initiatives achieved deeper transformation than regional governance, which faced greater barriers from competing interests and institutional inertia, highlighting the role locally-driven action can play in advancing transformation.
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Authors: Rachel E. Bitoun, Adrien Comte, Nathan James Bennett, Patrícia Charvet, Joachim Claudet, Fabien G. Forget, Patrice Guillotreau, Janne B. Haugen, Rebecca Horan, Robert Eliakim Katikiro, Rocío López de la Lama, Shauna L. Mahajan, Kolobe L. Mmonwa, Ryan J. O’Connor, Laura Maureen Pereira, Samantha Petersen, Andrea Dawn Phillott, Ethan Prall, Quentin Schull, Mariana Travassos Tolotti, Rodolphe Devillers
Institutions: University of British Columbia, Duke University, University of the Witwatersrand, University of Miami, University of Dar es Salaam, Stanford University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Université de Montpellier, Stockholm University, International Union for Conservation of Nature, World Wildlife Fund, École Pratique des Hautes Études, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, Ifremer, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Marine Biodiversity Exploitation and Conservation, Flame University, Centre de Recherches Insulaires et Observatoire de l'Environnement, Catholic University of Madagascar