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Uneven adaptive capacity among fishers in a sea of change

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  • Joshua S Stoll
  • Emma Fuller
  • Beatrice I Crona

Abstract

Fishers worldwide operate in an environment of uncertainty and constant change. Their ability to manage risk associated with such uncertainty and subsequently adapt to change is largely a function of individual circumstances, including their access to different fisheries. However, explicit attention to the heterogeneity of fishers’ connections to fisheries at the level of the individual has been largely ignored. We illustrate the ubiquitous nature of these connections by constructing a typology of commercial fishers in the state of Maine based on the different fisheries that fishers rely on to sustain their livelihoods and find that there are over 600 combinations. We evaluate the adaptive potential of each strategy, using a set of attributes identified by fisheries experts in the state, and find that only 12% of fishers can be classified as being well positioned to adapt in the face of changing socioeconomic and ecological conditions. Sensitivity to the uneven and heterogeneous capacity of fishers to manage risk and adapt to change is critical to devising effective management strategies that broadly support fishers. This will require greater attention to the social-ecological connectivity of fishers across different jurisdictions.

Suggested Citation

  • Joshua S Stoll & Emma Fuller & Beatrice I Crona, 2017. "Uneven adaptive capacity among fishers in a sea of change," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(6), pages 1-13, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0178266
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178266
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wilson, James A. & Acheson, James M. & Metcalfe, Mark & Kleban, Peter, 1994. "Chaos, complexity and community management of fisheries," Marine Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(4), pages 291-305, July.
    2. Chollett, Iliana & Canty, Steven W.J. & Box, Stephen J. & Mumby, Peter J., 2014. "Adapting to the impacts of global change on an artisanal coral reef fishery," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 118-125.
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    Cited by:

    1. Farrah Powell & Arielle Levine & Lucia Ordonez-Gauger, 2022. "Climate adaptation in the market squid fishery: fishermen responses to past variability associated with El Niño Southern Oscillation cycles inform our understanding of adaptive capacity in the face of," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 1-21, July.
    2. Vasquez Caballero, Smit & Salgueiro-Otero, Diego & Ojea, Elena, 2023. "The Role of Catch Portfolios in Characterizing Species' Economic Linkages and Fishers' Responses to Climate Change Impacts," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).

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