Sangeeta Mangubhai

Talanoa Consulting

Fisheries, like other sectors, is not immune to gender inequality, and women tend to experience the brunt of inequality as undervalued and underrepresented actors in fisheries management and development. A comprehensive understanding of the gender approaches in use, including potential barriers to their implementation, is needed to promote gender e...

The global COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the shortcomings of our health, social, and economic systems. While responding to the health crisis, governments are scrambling to understand and address the knock-on economic effects from market disruptions, and respond to other major disturbances (e.g. natural disasters). We conducted 61 key informant inte...

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture (SSFA) provide livelihoods for over 100 million people and sustenance for ~1 billion people, particularly in the Global South. Aquatic foods are distributed through diverse supply chains, with the potential to be highly adaptable to stresses and shocks, but face a growing range of threats and adaptive challenge...

Resilience of food systems is key to ensuring food security through crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented shock that reveals varying levels of resilience of increasingly interconnected food systems across the globe. We contribute to the ongoing debate about whether increased connectivity reduces or enhances resilience in the conte...

Gender equality, a universal agreed principle and value, has been adopted widely but implemented to varying levels in different sectors. Our study was designed to contrast how gender development (here-after 'development') and fisheries sectors view and invest in gender, and then explore opportunities to strengthen collaborative relationships and ne...

Watersheds offer opportunities for place-based interventions to transform systems health via preventative versus reactive approaches to management that achieve multiple co-benefits for public and environmental health. The Watershed Interventions for Systems Health in Fiji (WISH Fiji) project embraced participatory knowledge co-production and action...

The term “blue justice” was coined in 2018 during the 3rd World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress. Since then, academic engagement with the concept has grown rapidly. This article reviews 5 years of blue justice scholarship and synthesizes some of the key perspectives, developments, and gaps. We then connect this literature to wider relevant debates b...

Climate change is accelerating gender inequality, as climate extremes amplify inequalities, vulnerabilities, negative gender norms, and sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) rates increase during times of disaster. Yet the gendered experiences of climate change have to date been inadequately factored into climate law and policy-making, with the U...

The sustainability of coral reef fisheries is jeopardized by complex and interacting socio-ecological stressors that undermine their contribution to food and nutrition security. Climate change has emerged as one of the key stressors threatening coral reefs and their fish-associated services. How fish nutrient concentrations respond to warming ocean...

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) represent unique opportunities to help achieve the 2030 biodiversity conservation agenda. However, potential misuse by governments and economic sectors could compromise the outcome of these conservation efforts. Here, we propose three ways to ensure that the application of OECMs toward meetin...

Coral reef ecosystems are among the most diverse habitats on earth, providing essential social and ecological services. Raja Ampat, Indonesia - located in the Coral Triangle, the heart of marine biodiversity - has a rich history of traditional management, which included area-based management tools akin to modern marine protected areas (MPAs). Decen...

This evidence piece argues that social safeguards in the context of conservation should not be put in place using a formulaic, one size fits all approach Rather safeguards should be tailored to the conservation approaches and actions being implement and the social risks. The piece uses the Wildlife Conservation Society as an example of how a tailor...

Integrated management of coral reef foods, as a highly diverse set of blue foods, can contribute to addressing the dual challenges of malnutrition and biodiversity loss. Advances in nutrition research have made it possible to understand nutritional benefits on a species by species basis, and to make comparisons with benefits derived from land-based...

Ocean warming is increasing the incidence, scale, and severity of global-scale coral bleaching and mortality, culminating in the third global coral bleaching event that occurred during record marine heatwaves of 2014-2017. While local effects of these events have been widely reported, the global implications remain unknown. Analysis of 15,066 reef...

Data-limited fisheries benefit from using life-history traits as biological indicators of targeted stocks. We used histology-based reproductive analyses to estimate size at maturity, per capita egg production, and the number and biomass of immature individuals in the catch for three common coral reef fishes in Fiji market surveys during 2010–2019....

Coral reefs host exceptionally diverse and abundant marine life. Connecting coasts and sheltered lagoons to the open ocean, reef passages are important yet poorly studied components of these ecosystems. Abiotic and biotic elements ‘pass’ through these reef passages, supporting critical ecological processes (e.g. fish spawning). Reef passages provid...

Poor rural water quality is a health challenge in Fiji. A mixed-methods study in six iTaukei (Indigenous Fijian) villages was conducted to understand local perceptions of drinking water access and quality, how this changes drinking water source choices, and impacts of age and gender. Seventy-two household surveys, 30 key informant interviews (KIIs)...

Leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue are three water-related diseases influenced by environmental factors. We examined whether seasonality and rainfall predict reported syndromes associated with leptospirosis, typhoid and dengue in Fiji. Poisson generalised linear models were fitted with s6 early warning, alert and response system (EWARS) syndromic co...

Global visions of environmental change consider gender equality to be a foundation of sustainable social-ecological systems. Similarly, social-ecological systems frameworks position gender equality as both a precursor to, and a product of, system sustainability. Yet, the degree to which gender equality is being advanced through social-ecological sy...

Climate change, unsustainable fishing, and land-based pollution (Ainsworth et al. 2016, Cinner et al. 2018, Hughes et al. 2018, Wenger et al. 2020) are among the top pressures to coral reefs globally, resulting in substantial losses of live coral cover (Eddy et al. 2021) and the loss of ecosystem services valued at more than $10 trillion dollars pe...

The COVID-19 lockdown reduced human mobility and led to immediate insights into how humans impact nature. Yet the strongest ecological impacts are likely to come. As we emerge from the pandemic, governments should avoid prioritizing short-term economic gains that compromise ecosystems and the services they provide humanity. Instead, the pandemic ca...

1. Marine aquarium organisms represent some of the highest value products that can be harvested from coral reefs. Collection is extremely selective, and sea anemones are often targeted, leading to reduced densities and localized extinctions in some locations. Currently, there is a lack of information about species' popularity and survival in captiv...

Concerns with distributional justice invariably arise in environmental governance, especially in the conservation and management of common-pool resources. These initiatives generate an array of costs and benefits that are typically heterogeneously distributed. Distribution of these impacts in a way that is considered fair by local stakeholders is n...

Plain Language Summary Mass bleaching events caused by warming oceans and intensifying marine heatwaves have killed millions of corals globally. In the central equatorial Pacific, coral reefs experienced three extreme heatwaves within 15 years, providing valuable insights into the mechanisms that could facilitate coral survival under global warming...

Small-scale fisheries and aquaculture (SSFA) provide livelihoods for over 100 million people and sustenance for ~1 billion people, particularly in the Global South. Aquatic foods are distributed through diverse supply chains, with the potential to be highly adaptable to stresses and shocks, but face a growing range of threats and adaptive challenge...

Despite increasing recognition of the need for more diverse and equitable representation in the sciences, it is unclear whether measurable progress has been made. Here, we examine trends in authorship in coral reef science from 1,677 articles published over the past 16 years (2003–2018) and find that while representation of authors that are women (...

The Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region comprises almost 6% (about 15,180 km2) of the total global area of coral reefs, and the region is a globally important hotspot for coral reef biodiversity. The WIO includes sovereign states along the eastern and southern African mainland (Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa), island states (Mauri...

Indo-Fijians as resource users, have limited engagement and participation in fisheries management and decision making processes. Historically, efforts to improve inshore fisheries, especially by government agencies, environmental non-government organisations and academic institutions have focused on iTaukei communities because they are the custodia...

Substantial efforts and investments are being made to increase the scale and improve the effectiveness of marine conservation globally. Though it is mandated by international law and central to conservation policy, less attention has been given to how to operationalize social equity in and through the pursuit of marine conservation. In this article...

To conserve global biodiversity, countries must forge equitable alliances that support sustainability in traditional pastoral lands, fisheries-management areas, Indigenous territories and more. To conserve global biodiversity, countries must forge equitable alliances that support sustainability in traditional pastoral lands, fisheries-management ar...

Success and impact metrics in science are based on a system that perpetuates sexist and racist “rewards” by prioritizing citations and impact factors. These metrics are flawed and biased against already marginalized groups and fail to accurately capture the breadth of individuals’ meaningful scientific impacts. We advocate shifting this outdated va...

In 2018, the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted a decision on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). It contains the definition of an OECM and related scientific and technical advice that has broadened the scope of governance authorities and areas that can be engaged and recognised...

Tropical cyclones can dramatically reduce coral cover, coral diversity and structural complexity, which can all cause flow-on effects to fish communities. In 2016, Fiji sustained extensive damage from one of the most severe cyclones recorded in the southern hemisphere (Category 5 cyclone Winston). We assessed the impacts of cyclone Winston on the c...

Wailagilala is one of two ‘true’ atolls in Fiji. Our findings confirm the presence of nesting green turtle (Chelonia mydas); continued occurrence of breeding seabird populations, including documenting the fifth site in Fiji of nesting white tern (Gygis alba); and provides data on coral genera and benthic cover.

As part of a community-based project on water-related disease in Fiji, we conducted a qualitative study to assess the decision-making structures, roles and actions of village-level water committees. Village water committees played a role in the management, operation and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure. Reactive and proactive mana...

Worldwide, small-scale fisheries (SSF) are an important source of food and livelihoods for rural communities and contribute substantially to national economies. Women play crucial roles in these fisheries, yet their contributions are largely invisible, often ignored and unrecognized. We conducted household and focus group surveys to examine the rol...

The effectiveness and outcomes of management are expected to improve when people are informed, engaged and influential in governance and management procedures. The social‐ecological and demographic contexts should, however, influence an individual's perceptions and willingness to engage and access appreciable benefits from management. To evaluate h...

Gender equality is a mainstream principle of good environmental governance and sustainable development. Progress toward gender equality in the fisheries sector is critical for effective and equitable development outcomes in coastal countries. However, while commitments to gender equality have surged at global, regional and national levels, little i...

The Bird's Head Seascape (BHS), Papua, Indonesia is located within the epicenter of global marine biodiversity and has been the focus of recent conservation efforts to protect marine resources. Here, we provide an overview of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) progress in the BHS over the past decade, including establishment history, changes in manageme...

We report on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), especially those who govern, manage and conserve their lands and waters. We explore the themes of access and use of natural resources, solidarity, decision-making, the role of governments and IPLCs in managing COVID-19, and the uptake of traditiona...

This paper is freely available open access from: https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.CH.2021.PARKS-27-SICP.en The intersection of potential global targets and commitments for ocean conservation with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 has resulted in an opportunity to rethink the future of marine area-based conservation tools, particularly for marine protected...

This handbook is designed to give practical guidance on improving gender and social inclusion in coastal fisheries and aquaculture for staff working in fisheries agencies in Pacific Island countries and territories. It focuses on the responsibilities of Pacific Island governments to help promote sustainable development outcomes for all people relyi...

Broadening the value system in science

Catastrophic overfishing of small-scale coastal fisheries through the Pacific poses a major threat to regional food security and biodiversity. Globally, approaches to fisheries assessment and management that were developed for industrial fisheries, are failing small-scale data-poor fisheries. The Pacific Community has called for a complete rethink...

Complex histories of chronic and acute sea surface temperature (SST) stresses are expected to trigger taxon- and location-specific responses that will ultimately lead to novel coral communities. The 2016 El Niño-Southern Oscillation provided an opportunity to examine largescale and recent environmental histories on emerging patterns in 226 coral co...

Aim Predictions for the future of coral reefs are largely based on thermal exposure and poorly account for potential geographic variation in biological sensitivity to thermal stress. Without accounting for complex sensitivity responses, simple climate exposure models and associated predictions may lead to poor estimates of future coral survival and...

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread around the world with extensive social and economic effects. This editorial focuses specifically on the implications of the pandemic for small-scale fishers, including marketing and processing aspects of the sector, and coastal fishing communities, drawing from news and reports from around the world. Negativ...

Coral reef fisheries depend on reef fish biomass to support ecosystem functioning and sustainable fisheries. Here, we evaluated coral reefs across 4,000 km of the Indonesian archipelago to reveal a large gradient of biomass, from <100 kg/ha to >17,000 kg/ha. Trophic pyramids characterized by planktivore dominance emerged at high biomass, suggesting...

From 2018 to 2019, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in collaboration with UN Women, the Ministry for Local Government and three municipal councils (Suva, Labasa and Savusavu) undertook a study aimed at addressing barriers to women’s economic empowerment by improving gender equality and social inclusion of women seafood vendors in municipal m...

A national study of fisheries-dependent communities was conducted to better understand and highlight the role of women fishers in the Fijian inshore fisheries sector. Fisheries dependent communities were surveyed to gain a “better understanding and quantification of the role of indigenous (iTaukei) women fishers in fisheries in Fiji”.

Fisheries are critical to food security and the livelihoods of coastal-dwelling communities throughout the Pacific region (Bell et al. 2009). Women play significant roles in fisheries and are often considered as primary income supporters for households, as they are increasingly engaged in a wide diversity of activities such as gleaning, fishing, po...

Koro Island is north of Suva in the Lomaiviti Province and is the sixth-largest island in Fiji. There are 14 traditional fishing grounds and at the time of the study, there were 7 tabu areas (periodically harvested closures). On 20 February 2016, one of the largest cyclones on record in the southern hemisphere passed through Fiji, leaving a trail o...

This handbook is designed to give practical guidance on improving gender and social inclusion in coastal fisheries and aquaculture for staff working in fisheries agencies in Pacific Island countries and territories. It focuses on the responsibilities of Pacific Island governments to help promote sustainable development outcomes for all people relyi...

Pearl oyster farming has become a vital source of income, improving livelihoods and significantly contributing towards economic development in Pacific Island countries. Because pearl oysters are filter feeders and sequester carbon into their shells, they can be regarded as sustainable elements fostering marine conservation in the region.

Dr Sangeeta Mangubhai is currently the Director for the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Fiji Country Program. In March 2018, she became the fourth Pacific Islander to receive the prestigious and globally competitive Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation from the Pew Charitable Trusts. Her three-year project aims at developing practical, context-spe...

The marine environment is vital for Fiji's tourism sector, yet industry and community partnerships to conserve it have largely gone unrecognised. A study from March to October 2017 documented the extent and scale to which 'Marine Conservation Agreements' (MCAs) between tourism operators and indigenous, resource owning communities are used in Fiji,...