Equity in environmental governance: perceived fairness of distributional justice principles in marine co-management

•Few studies examine perceived distributional fairness in environmental governance.•We study stakeholders’ perceptions of five justice principles with respect to a MPA.•The customary rights-based principle was considered the ‘most fair’ principle.•The fisheries opportunity-costs principle was considered the ‘least fair’ principle.•Only a few sociodemographic factors (wealth, education) relate to fairness judgements.