An analysis of property rights in the Special Management Area (SMA) in Tonga

The people of Tonga has been enjoying the abundance of its marine resources for centuries under an open access regime with the absence of any traditional marine tenure system. But time has changed and the population has increased, the fishing gears have been improved and more and more people are now moving from subsistence fishing to commercial fishing. These changes are posing threats to the health of the marine resources in the coastal areas causing a widespread concern among the coastal communities. This has led to the introduction and implementation of one of the management tools considered to be effective in combating the increased threats faced by the communities and the marine resources; the Special Management Area (SMA). To better understand the effectiveness of the SMAs, there is a need to understand the elements that makes it effective by analyzing the different characteristics of property rights within the SMA. These property right characteristics were proposed by Schlager and Ostrom and are employed for the analysis of the SMAs. The analysis provides an insight into the different elements and factors that contribute to the effective implementation of SMAs. Understanding the characteristics of property rights will contribute to strengthening of SMAs and improving of the benefits to the communities. It will certainly provide a basis for any review required for the SMAs.