It’s heartening to see more grassroots initiatives to bring conservation messages in channels which are familiar to local communities. This article highlights the troubling fact that fisheries are being depleted by local communities as people see their resources as ‘abundant’ and have a perception that these resources will be ‘provided by God’. Such perceptions give people the idea that their continued ways are justified and they see little need to change their practices and be instead stewards of the resources they have been provided.
It is also great to see how both pastors and scientists in this context are crossing over to different sides – the pastor is pursuing a PhD in natural resource management, and the scientist is using local community faith systems to convey conservation messages – to help support these fishing communities in being better managers of local fisheries.
See the entire report here
http://news.mongabay.com/2014/1125-west-sri-religious-messages-fisheries.html#sthash.sba1ro6X.dpbs