Recent Contributions of Social and Economic Research to Fisheries and Ecosystem Management

Fisheries managers tackle the complex issues of protected species and fisheries management with an emphasis on biological and environmental information.  Under some circumstances, especially where legal mandates require, social and economic information can be very helpful in informing management around human interactions with the marine environment.  In the realm of ecosystem management, the social sciences are more commonly acknowledged.  Despite this acknowledgment, some biological scientists are unfamiliar with social and economic data.  Research in the social sciences is expanding the information available to fishery managers and ecosystem scientists.  How can the social sciences continue to, and better inform, fisheries management?  What specific fisheries social science research has been undertaken and is ongoing?