Maintaining a specific understanding of the local culture and its political and inter-group needs appears to be another part of the viability of some CBNRSM efforts that Murphree does not touch on, but that does emerge in a case such as the Rio Platano Biosphere Reserve in Honduras, where ecotourism in the reserve has grown steadily and all criteria of Murphree’s principles are followed. Predictably, this a successful case because the efforts examine the lifeways and hunting patterns of the indigenous population while integrating a more sustainable framework for maximum benefit to both tourism groups and the indigenous population simultaneously. Through community meetings that involved both the indigenous and outside parties over a long time span, a feasible plan for sustainable hunting practices and cultural demonstrations for tourists (of which wild game hunting was a major part) was made more sustainable and the groups were able to benefit economically and socially with minimal interference from outside parties with personal stakes. Furthermore, a new component of the tourist activities encouraged the local women’s crafts and arts and other traditional practices, thus in spite of being exposed to new influences, the group was able to maintain some of its traditions at great economic as well as social and ancestral benefit. The actions taken were thus of direct benefit to those who lived with the resources, especially since many became guides, replacing non-native guides as well, and the management which was formed over successive meetings and cooperation was beneficial to all and provided valuable learning opportunities. Most importantly, the benefits easily reflected the changes that were made as the indigenous population was able to continue in much the same way with the ability to preserve cultural heritage and participate in the wider economy as well. The ownership between the tourist company and the native population was split evenly and the operation was on a highly localized level, which meant that all parties who were responsible for important decisions were in the same locale physically, especially since the area of the reserve is relatively small. This serves as an excellent example of cooperation and sustainable cultural and environmental practices.

Another positive case study of an effective CBNRM project that adhered to all of the criteria proposed by Murphree was based in Barbados and involved the fishing industry, which was once solely the domain of governmental agencies with policies being made by those who had little to do with the fishing economy. This became more the case as fishing gained prominence inGDPterms, thus bringing in more outside regulation. What this CBNRM proposed was that all fisheries would work together, bringing their own “consultants” to work with one another and create community versus state policies that took into account their unique cultural, political, and economic concerns as small fishery owners or private fishermen. This project directly benefited those who lived within the context of the resources and furthermore, this more nuanced management approach was of benefit to the resource users and aided the government in coming up with more balanced policies, leading to better cooperation. The work that went into this process immediately paid off with more profitable and sustainable policies and the owners were the only unit of production and benefit. Most importantly, this was the perfect size for such a project with small fisheries allied with larger ones, forming something of a community within a community with the sole responsibility of guiding legislative action and making the sustainability of fishing practices more secure.

References

Kalahari Conservation Society, “KCS CBNRM Strategy and Monitoring Plan.” Kalahari Conservation Society. 2008. 19 Oct 2008http://www.kcs.org.bw/downloads/cbnrm%20strategy.pdf.

Nielsen, Erik. “Community Participation in Wild lands.” Columbia University. 2007. The World Bank/WBI’s CBNRM Initiative. 20 Oct 2008http://srdis.ciesin.columbia.edu/cases/honduras-004.html.

McConney, Patrick. “Creating Conditions for Community-Based Small-Scale Fisheries Management in the Carribean”  Columbia University. 2007. The International Workshop on Community-Based Natural Resource Management. 19 Oct 2008 <http://srdis.ciesin.columbia.edu/cases/Barbados-Paper.htm