They Don't Read the New York Times in Grand Isle: Communicating Federal Response Decisions to Local and Traditional Fisheries Communities

Fisheries managers and scientists often have a challenge developing localized information in that local communities appear to be impenetrable to outsiders.  During the Deep Water Horizon/MC 252 oil spill and response, the federal government had to make quick decisions based on available, and rapidly changing, information to protect human health and coastal and marine resources.  These decisions had often had an impact on local and traditional fishing communities, and the communication with those communities were often challenged by the decisions and the science underlying these actions.

Based on first had observations during the federal response, and drawing on available human dimensions literature on fisheries community interactions, I will relay stories of communication opportunities lost, science challenged, and local decision makers cast as reluctant partners, as opposed to enthusiastic supporters.  The paper will also highlight information and communication channels that can bear fruit in future federal responses and which require action during normal fisheries management and science endeavours so that relationships are robust beforehand.