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Voodoo versus fishing committees: the role of traditional and contemporary institutions in fisheries management
Alonso, E.B.; Houssa, R.; Verpoorten, M. (2016). Voodoo versus fishing committees: the role of traditional and contemporary institutions in fisheries management. Ecol. Econ. 122: 61-70. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2015.11.024
In: Ecological Economics. Elsevier: Amsterdam; New York; Oxford; Tokyo. ISSN 0921-8009; e-ISSN 1873-6106, more
Peer reviewed article  

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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

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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