The attitudes and perceptions of resource users and managers towards the Nha Trang Bay Marine Protected Area management, Vietnam

Abstract

Attitudes of local people and managers have become the emerging topic in marine protected areas management. Understanding about it is expected to contribute to the implement and the compliance of fishermen and managers after seven years of the Nha Trang Bay marine protected are foundation. This study aims to evaluate attitudes and perceptions of fishermen and managers towards MPA management; and to examine life satisfaction of the fishermen resulting from the Nha Trang Bay MPA designation. The primary stakeholders take vital roles in complying with the management regulations, fishermen and managers were surveyed by random selection. Their opinions were obtained by the face-to-face interview. Results were presented underlying the descriptive analysis and the logistic regression model. Managers expressed positive attitudes and perceptions towards the MPA management; meanwhile fishermen did not. Fishermen reluctantly accept the closed area. The management board has not caught the support from local people, poaching and conflicts in using fisheries resources still occur in the area. The cumulative logistic model was used to examine the effects of demographic and socioeconomic factors on fishermen’s happiness. Per capita income and age have positive effects on the probability of fishermen life satisfaction.