Voodoo versus fishing committees: the role of traditional and contemporary institutions in fisheries management
In: Ecological Economics. Elsevier: Amsterdam; New York; Oxford; Tokyo. ISSN 0921-8009; e-ISSN 1873-6106, more
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| Author keywords |
Community-based natural resource management; Institutions; Religion;Voodoo; Fisheries; Benin |
| Authors | | Top |
- Alonso, E.B., more
- Houssa, R.
- Verpoorten, M., more
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| Abstract |
We study the co-existence of two community-based institutions for fisheries management in Benin: a traditional institution embedded in the Voodoo religion and a recent secular institution in the form of fishing committees. Using household survey data on fishing activities, we find that rules of both institutions have a statistically significant but small impact on the use of unsustainable fishing gear. We further find that Voodoo fishers who break the traditional Voodoo-based rule follow the fishing committee rule to the same extent as other fishers. This finding is consistent with a possible transition from the traditional Voodoo-based institution to the secular fishing committee institution. More research is needed to fully assess the effectiveness of, and interactions between, the two institutions. |
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