Making the invisible visible to improve the governability of Marine Protected Areas: the case of the Cabo Roche marine reserve (Andalusia)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/raso.101939
Keywords: Marine Protected Areas, governability, step zero, images, Marine Reserves of Fishing Interest

Abstract

More often than desirable, Marine Protected Areas (MPA) turn out to be less effective than expected when they were conceived, becoming mere paper parks. In this article, we argue that the reasons for their failure should not only be found in the characteristics of their design and management but also in the moments preceding their implementation and, more concretely, in the images that define this protection figure in the minds of the affected agents before its establishment. Based on the case study of the process leading to the declaration of a Marine Reserve of Fishing Interest (MRFI) in the marine environment of Cabo Roche (Cádiz, Spain), it shows the importance of analyzing, negotiating, and reconciling the images of stakeholders in the stages prior to the declaration of an MPA for its governability and, therefore, its success.

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Author Biography

Mar Abott Jiménez, Universidad de Sevilla

Con más frecuencia de lo deseable, las Áreas Marinas Protegidas (AMP) resultan no ser tan eficaces como se esperaba cuando fueron concebidas, dando lugar a los llamados “parques de papel”. En este artículo, sostenemos que las razones de su fracaso no sólo deben buscarse en las características de su diseño y gestión, sino también en los momentos que preceden a su implementación y, de manera más concreta, en las imágenes que definen en la mente de los agentes afectados e interesados a esta figura de protección antes de su establecimiento. A partir del estudio de caso del proceso de activación para la declaración de una reserva marina de interés pesquero (RMIP) en el entorno marino de Cabo Roche (Cádiz, España), se muestra la importancia de analizar, negociar y conciliar las imágenes de los grupos de interés en las etapas previas a la declaración de una AMP para su gobernabilidad y, por tanto, su éxito.

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Published
2025-05-16
How to Cite
Abott Jiménez M. (2025). Making the invisible visible to improve the governability of Marine Protected Areas: the case of the Cabo Roche marine reserve (Andalusia). Revista de Antropología Social, 34(1), 73-90. https://doi.org/10.5209/raso.101939
Issue
Vol. 34 No. 1 (2025)
Section
Articles

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