Assessing the Social-Ecological Dimensions of Dungeness Crab Fishery Closures in Southeast Alaska from Analysis of Public Records

Abstract

Spatial management of marine resources is of growing interest at local, national, and international scales. This can take many forms, from small local fishery closures to large marine protected areas (MPAs), and encompass a range of use and access regulations. For example, Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) and other forms of spatial management allowing for partial-use of protected areas have been used as ways to secure food security and to increase sustainable fishery yields through community access. The objective of this research was to document spatial closures for Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) fisheries as proposed through the BOF over the past 14 years to better understand the ecological, social, and policy conditions that led to proposed closures and their outcomes. These closures were proposed through the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) process, which allows members of the public and community organizations to propose changes to fisheries management and regulation. We conducted a thematic analysis of publicly available records from BOF meetings from 2006 through 2022 to understand the characteristics of these closures, community perceptions, and how they fit into broader spatial management trends. First, we reviewed meeting records for proposals related to Dungeness crab closures and identified 41 relevant proposals. We then refined this list to 18 key proposals for thematic analysis that represented a variety of geographic areas in Southeast Alaska, a range of proposal outcomes, and focused on geographic areas with a longer history of spatial management that could be tracked through the BOF process over multiple years. The public meeting records related to these proposals were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. From the content analysis of meeting records, we identified six major themes: (1) Changes in proposal strategies over time; (2) Community identity and insider/outsider dynamics; (3) Differences in representation among fishery groups; (4) Role of closures in enabling or constraining local access; (5) Spatial management as a flexible tool; and (6) Challenges arising from data limitations. These themes indicate social needs, rather than ecological concerns, leading the justification of proposals and being a primary point of discussion around the value and impact of closures for local communities and for Alaska as a whole. The future of the Southeast Alaska Dungeness crab fishery faces uncertainties in the face of changing social and ecological conditions. Improved knowledge sharing among fishers and management bodies may help to better anticipate and respond to social-ecological change, and address challenges in ways that center community needs.