What Are We Managing for? Well-Being, Values, and the Management of Marine Fisheries

The last several decades have been time of profound changes in North American marine social-ecological systems.  Associated with those changes, the governance and management of marine fisheries has changed significantly.  For example, ‘ecosystem-based management’ and allied terms have become increasingly prominent, and many see this approach as fundamental to managing changing marine social-ecological systems.  However, there are significant challenges related to the implementation of EBM, including the involvement of a fuller range of social actors with complex sets of objectives, values, and behaviors.  Drawing on research from Newfoundland and Labrador, British Columbia and New Jersey, this presentation presents findings in three linked areas of social science research that can inform, direct, and critique the evolving management of marine fisheries.  The first area involves developing a more complete picture of the impact of marine fishing activities (and management interventions) on human well-being.  The second involves developing an understanding of the multiple drivers (economic, social, environmental) that shape the behavior of fishers.  The third involves articulating the full range of values (particularly those that are ‘socio-cultural’ in nature) that influence the setting of management objectives and the behaviors that drive social-ecological system change.