Exclusionary decision-making processes in marine governance: The rezoning plan for the protected areas of the 'iconic' Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The number of marine protected areas (MPAs) has increased twenty-fold since 1993, and there are ambitious targets for further expansion set by international conservation agencies. This expansion has been accompanied by claims that only No-take MPAs (NTMPAs) can effectively ensure biodiversity conservation, and the international marine conservation community has become increasingly active and influential in promoting them. However, NTMPAs clearly have consequences for resource users whose livelihoods are impacted by restricted access to natural resources. Since these consequences can trigger social conflicts that impeded progress towards conservation goals, there have been concerted efforts to find collaborative and inclusive approaches to MPA planning and management. This paper assesses stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes related to marine conservation planning and management in the Galapagos Marine Reserve, and examines how these have been influenced by shifting narratives of biodiversity conservation in the lead up to, and the execution of, the 2016 rezoning process. A dramatic shift in the rezoning process, a top-down declaration of a no-take MPA, fostered social conflicts that have delayed the full-implementation of the new zoning plan even three years after its official declaration. Through a mixed-methods approach we contrast perceptions, expectations and experiences of key actors in three stakeholder groups: the small-scale fisheries sector, the scientific research community, and the conservation management sector. This study illustrates challenges associated with rushed conservation initiatives, promoted and supported by large external conservation NGOs, and it demonstrates how a back to the barriers approach to conservation can undermine acceptance of conservation practices and jeopardize the success of MPAs.