Conservation policies informed by food system feedbacks can avoid unintended consequences

Staci A Lewis; Carlo Fezzi; Rachel Dacks; Silvia Ferrini; Philip A S James; Lincy Marino; Yimnang Golbuu; Kirsten L L Oleson

doi:10.1038/s43016-020-00192-7

Conservation policies informed by food system feedbacks can avoid unintended consequences

Nat Food. 2020 Dec;1(12):783-786. doi: 10.1038/s43016-020-00192-7. Epub 2020 Nov 30.

Authors

Staci A Lewis^{1

2}, Carlo Fezzi^{3

4

5}, Rachel Dacks⁶, Silvia Ferrini^{7

8}, Philip A S James⁹, Lincy Marino¹⁰, Yimnang Golbuu¹⁰, Kirsten L L Oleson³

Affiliations

¹ Stanford University Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford, CA, USA. slewis13@stanford.edu.
² Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA. slewis13@stanford.edu.
³ Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
⁴ Department of Economics and Management, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
⁵ Land, Environment, Economics and Policy Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
⁶ School of Life Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.
⁷ University of Siena, Siena, Italy.
⁸ University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
⁹ Pacific Community (SPC), Noumea, France.
¹⁰ Palau International Coral Reef Center, Koror, Palau.

PMID: 37128056
DOI: 10.1038/s43016-020-00192-7

Abstract

Understanding the feedbacks between food systems and conservation policies can help avoid unintended environmental consequences. Using a survey-based choice experiment and economic modelling, we quantify the potential impact of tourists' responses to a shift in offshore fish supply after the designation of a large-scale marine protected area in Palau. We find that this conservation policy may increase offshore fish prices and tourists' consumption of reef fish, thereby further endangering local reef ecosystems. However, if tourists are offered a sustainable offshore choice, their demand for fish could be kept at current levels, and environmental impacts from increased reef fish consumption would be avoided.