The dwindling community-based management strategies in the brush park fishery of a tropical estuary: Need for co-management
Abstract Importance of participatory approaches in the management of small-scale fisheries is being increasingly highlighted today throughout the world. Brush park fishery in Negombo estuary, Sri Lanka is a small-scale fishery where traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) accumulated over generations is utilized to optimize the harvests. In the present study, the institutional robustness of the community-based management system of this fishery, which is based on TEK was assessed using Ostrom's modified design principles. Results showed that the degree of community-based management is not effective in successful management of this fishery due to common pool nature. Nevertheless, there is potential for integrating some institutional design principles through intervention of centralized management authorities. As such, co-management regimes that empower local communities are needed for the sustainability this fishery.