Socio-cultural valuation
What is it?
Socio-cultural valuation highlights the perspectives and the values of stakeholders insiders) on biodiversity. The goals of such studies are to discover what aspects of marine biodiversity are important to people, to whom it’s important, and how much and why. MarBEF developed an approach to determine what aspects of biodiversity actually mattered locally. Such ans approach can be crucial for developing effective strategies for the conservation of biodiversity through the inclusion of stakeholders in the decision-making process.
Case study results
MarBEF researchers undertook the socio-cultural valuation of marine biodiversity in the Isles of Scilly in the UK, and it is currently being applied in the Azores, the Guadiana Estuary and the Ria Formosa in Portugal. Four main perspectives were delineated in the Isles of Scilly case study:
The Management Perspective, where the implementation and enforcement of regulations related to fisheries and protected area management are considered important, given that species are diminishing.
The Contingent Value Perspective, whereby value is seen through contingency – for example, an environmental disaster such as an oil spill; the biodiversity valued overall is intrinsic.
The Future Policy Perspective, whereby management policies are important and even more management is felt to be needed, despite the fact they do not view species as diminishing now.
The Goods and Services Perspective: a holistic viewpoint whereby the goods and services, (cultural heritage, fisheries, etc), and the production values of biodiversity are emphasised.
