| dc.description.abstract | There is a growing recognition of the importance of involving stakeholders in marine
governance and management to enable the inclusion of the knowledge and interests of those
whose livelihoods are directly linked to the marine ecosystems. This study aims to understand
the perceptions of fish harvester organizations as mechanisms to represent the interests of
commercial fish harvesters during a resource use conflict in Atlantic Canada. It employs a case
study approach, utilising semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis to evaluate the
perceptions of fisher representation during the development of the mitigation measures to protect
the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale from fishing gear entanglements. The North
Atlantic right whale population have faced an Unusual Mortality Event (UME) with 34
confirmed fatalities since 2017, with human interaction by gear entanglements and vessel strikes
as the leading cause of death. This case study has been selected for its urgency and the
consequences of the mitigation measures on the operations of commercial lobster and snow crab
fish harvesters throughout the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is argued that the effective participation of
fish harvesters in the design and implementation of mitigation measures can contribute to
improved outcomes, whereby fishers can contribute to measures that are reflective of local
priorities. The outcomes of this study indicate that there is a clear and valuable role for fisheries
organization in the governance of Atlantic Canadian fisheries, but that strategic efforts are
needed to overcome the barriers of distrust and poor governance, as identified in this study.
Keywords: fisheries governance; stakeholder engagement; adaptive management; resource
conflict; stakeholder perceptions | en_US |
