Fishers' experiences and perceptions of marine mammals in the South China Sea: Insights for improving community‐based conservation

摘要: The successful conservation of marine mammals is often dependent upon support from local fishing communities, and valuable insights can be obtained through understanding fishers’ attitudes awareness mammals. A new ecological knowledge dataset was large‐scale questionnaire‐based interviews with 510 artisanal fishers 16 coastal communities around Hainan, China. Almost all respondents (92.7%) reported regular encounters Many negative interactions mammals, including bycatch (25.5%), consumption (36.1%), the sale meat (9.2%), respondent perceptions were negative. Generalized linear models (GLMs) indicated that experiences mammal events mainly predicted by indices effort experience, rather than geographic or socio‐economic factors. Respondent eating selling location some livelihood instead experience education level. Classification regression trees (CARTs) showed most important factors determining number years educational level, respectively. Both GLMs CARTs complex effects geographic, livelihood, on Regional community‐based could promoted improved regulatory management environmental education, sustainable exploitation economic development, positive partnerships collaboration between enforcement agencies, researchers.