Stewardship, advocacy, and knowledge in Juneau-area fisheries

Abstract

Local environmental stewardship supports resilience of social-ecological systems through a wide range of actions that benefit both environmental and human wellbeing, and has been recognized as an important component in building adaptive capacity of fisheries and fishing communities facing myriad threats and stressors from global climate change. Stewardship actions of resource users can provide both environmental protection and continued use of and access to resources by coastal communities. In Southeast Alaska, where commercial fishing plays a key role in cultures and economies, concerns for local fisheries have arisen from declines in salmon returns, high ex vessel price variability, and barriers to participation for young fishers, among other issues. In this study, we aimed to understand the existing and potential pathways for stewardship actions of small-boat commercial fishers in Juneau, Alaska. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 commercial fishers, agency staff, and leaders of seafood associations to: 1) Document fisher-led stewardship actions and ways that small-boat commercial fishers engage formally and informally with local management, 2) Explore the role of fishery management agencies in facilitating collaboration and communication with fishers in the Juneau area, and 3) Identify areas where the stewardship capacities of the fishery system can be better supported in order to work towards desired ecological, social, and economic outcomes. We found that a number of pathways for stewardship efforts exist in commercial salmon and shellfish fisheries, including formal and informal interactions with Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) staff, participation in Advisory Council (AC) and Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) meetings, participation in fishing associations and advocacy organizations, knowledge sharing among commercial fishers, and taking personal conservation actions to care for fisheries. We identified areas of relatively low social, financial, and institutional capital that may limit the effectiveness of these stewardship actions for some participants. Additionally, our findings highlight diverse perspectives of fishery participants on how these stewardship actions might be better supported through policy, advocacy, and collaboration.