The anatomy of conflict and the politics of identity in two cooperative salmon management regimes

Last in a gauntlet of fisheries, indigenous fisheries were often curtailed due to concerns over the conservation of the salmon run. Cooperative management institutions have emerged recently as alternative management structures, often intended to empower marginalized groups and to distribute decision-making authority. Two case studies are examined where cooperative management approaches have emerged. One considers the tribes of the Puget Sound region in Washington, the other the Native Alaskans in the Kuskokwim River drainage. In both cases, resource-based conflicts provided the impetus for the emergence of cooperative management. However, these regimes have not eliminated conflicts nor have they necessarily reduced their frequency. The results of a comparative analysis of the two case studies indicate that management institutions can be structured to facilitate the emergence of cooperation and to make conflicts more amenable to resolution.