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Abstract:
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"Despite the growing literature identifying factors leading to effective and successful participation, the academic field of evaluation of participatory mechanisms still needs empirical cases. In the municipality of Paraty (Rio de Janeiro State), SE Brazil, small-scale fishers from the community of Trindade participate directly, or are represented, in four consultative councils of protected areas (PAs), in which they struggle to maintain their traditional rights over fishing territories within PAs. This study aims to evaluate the exercise of participation by small-scale fishers and leaders of community-based organizations from Trindade, and other organizations representing them, in the Consultative Councils of the Serra da Bocaina National Park (SBNP) and Bocaina Mosaic (BM), a set of 29 PAs (including the SBNP). The evaluation was performed based on criteria from the public participation scholarship, such as representation, communication and transparency. Findings show that communication among participants during the meetings is unidirectional, hierarchical and controlled by the meetings’ coordinators/facilitators – always PA managers. Fishers are represented in the sense that they participate in the meetings but they have no voice in decisions that affect them. Some decisions are just informed by the managers, without transparency about the processes which created them. Although the councils we analyzed are an accomplishment in the field of public participation in Brazil since the creation of the National System of Conservation Units in 2000, there are still numerous challenges. We provide some recommendations for the improvement of these councils as multi-stakeholder participation arenas."
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