Abstract

The sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA) is a fairly recent addition to the tools for evaluating management and other initiatives. Used primarily in rural development, often in the context of activities with poverty-related goals, the SLA also now appears in coastal and marine analyses. However, in the Caribbean, few coastal interventions have adopted a livelihoods perspective in their design, implementation or impact analysis. The study reported on here was one component of a larger project aimed at developing and promoting institutional arrangements for the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Caribbean. Pro-poor institutional arrangements may facilitate poverty alleviation by ensuring that benefits from MPAs impact the livelihoods of the poorest stakeholders. This socio-economic analysis assesses impacts on the livelihoods of the stakeholders of two MPAs: the Hol Chan and Glover’s Reef Marine Reserves in Belize. Data on demographics, capital assets and individuals’ perceptions of the MPAs were collected primarily through a formal questionnaire administered to the poorest stakeholder group, the fishers. Respondents at both study sites supported the need for MPAs, but they did not want more established close to their communities. Impacts on income and business expansion have been minimal for fishers, but amenities and social services improved concurrently. Reduction of user group conflict was said to be minimal. Respondents were dissatisfied with MPA management, particularly with information flow between park authorities and user groups. Overall, Hol Chan may be moderately successful in alleviating poverty in San Pedro, whilst Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve offered limited opportunity for poverty alleviation in the adjacent communities.

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