A legal assessment of private land conservation in South America.

Privately protected areas (PPAs) are a potentially innovative conservation tool. Legal recognition is necessary for their success, especially where there are institutional challenges to nature conservation, such as in South America. Although PPAs have increased in South America since the early 2000s, there is a critical information gap pertaining to their legal frameworks. We analyzed the level of landowner commitment to and governmental support for PPAs across countries in South America that officially recognize PPAs. We analyzed the legal framework governing PPAs and reviewed literature on them. This process was done in English and Spanish. The information we gathered was validated by 16 conservation experts from 10 South American countries. Because Peru is 1 of only 2 South American countries where local communities create and manage PPAs, we studied Peruvian PPAs in more detail by examining official creation documents and interviewing 13 local conservation professionals. We found inadequate minimum duration of PPAs and vague guidelines for conducting economic activities within them and a lack of governmental support (e.g., financial and technical support) for PPAs. Support was limited to the exemption from rural property taxes, which are relatively low compared with countries outside South America. In Peru, PPAs run by individuals and communities needed different legal frameworks because they were created with different objectives and had different sizes and duration of commitments. The prompt improvement of legal frameworks across South America is necessary for PPAs to achieve their aim of being places for enduring nature conservation in the region.

Una revisión legal de la conservación voluntaria entierras privadas de América del Sur Resumen Las áreas protegidas privadas (APP) son una herramienta de conservación con potencial innovador. Para ser exitosas, las APP necesitan reconocimiento legal, especialmente cuando existen obstáculos institucionales para la conservación de la naturaleza, como sucede en América del Sur. Aunque las APP han aumentado en esta zona desde principios de la década del 2000, existe un vacío de información con respecto a sus marcos legales. Analizamos el nivel de compromiso de los terratenientes y el apoyo gubernamental hacia las APP en los países de América del Sur que reconocen de forma oficial las APP. Analizamos el encuadre legal que rige a las APP y revisamos la literatura existente sobre ellas; realizamos este proceso en inglés y en español. Dieciséis expertos de la conservación de diez países sudamericanos validaron la información recopilada. Ya que Perú es uno de los dos países de la zona en donde las comunidades locales crean y manejan las APP, nos enfocamos en sus APP y examinamos a detalle los documentos oficiales de creación y entrevistamos a 13 profesionales de la conservación locales. Encontramos una duración mínima inadecuada de las APP y directrices vagas para la realización de actividades dentro de ellas, así como una falta de apoyo gubernamental (p. ej.: apoyo económico y técnico). Este apoyo se limitaba a la exención de los impuestos sobre la propiedad rural, los cuales son relativamente bajos en comparación con los países fuera de América del Sur. En Perú, las APP a cargo de individuos y comunidades necesitaban diferentes encuadres legales porque fueron creados con diferentes objetivos y tenían diferentes tamaños y plazos para los compromisos. Se necesita una rápida mejora de los marcos legales en América del Sur para que las APP logren el objetivo de ser sitios para que perdure la conservación de la naturaleza en la región.

Attitudes and misconceptions towards sharks and shark meat consumption along the Peruvian coast.

Misconceptions, lack of knowledge, and negative attitudes towards sharks act as barriers preventing actions required to tackle threats to shark populations, limiting the success of global shark conservation initiatives. Peru, a major player for the international trade of shark products, recently approved the 'National Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras' (PAN-Tib); a guiding document for conservation initiatives aimed at these fishes. Within PAN-Tib, the assessment of Peruvians' current knowledge and attitudes towards sharks is listed as a research priority. Between June and October 2016, 2004 Peruvians were surveyed along the coast to characterize their (i) shark meat consumption patterns, and (ii) knowledge and attitudes towards sharks. Results suggest that shark meat consumption is extended, but not necessarily frequent, and higher in the northern regions of the country. However, 77.5% of shark meat consumers were unaware that they had eaten sharks. Although 57.6% of the participants recognized that sharks are present in Peruvian waters, only 19.4% of the surveyed population was capable of naming at least one local shark species. Moreover, Peruvians have very negative attitudes towards sharks. They fear them and view them as man-eaters, despite this, no shark attacks have ever been reported in the country. These results highlight the need to: (i) encourage sustainable shark meat consumption, and (ii) promote communication campaigns aimed at increasing knowledge about sharks, and their importance as a source of employment and food for coastal communities, as for the national economy.