All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechani-Living the PhD was an exciting life and learning experience. I am very grateful to all my companions who supported me in this process.Juan Carlos Seijo, it was a privilege to have you as my promoter and to cross our paths again; your academic and fisheries expertise contributed significantly to this thesis and my development as a researcher. I always felt inspired and confident to continue my research after our meetings. Julieta Marotta, many thanks for your kind support in all aspects of the PhD, from research questions, to methods, to the concerns and challenges a PhD student goes through. I enjoyed and learned from our time together; and I was always inspired to see you balancing life, academic work, and relationships with a smile. Michal Natorski, many thanks for our theoretical discussions, all the information you shared with me, and the collaborative writing we did for our chapter. They challenged and sharpened my thinking and academic skills.Joop de Kraker, Liesbeth Lijnzaad, Maarten Bavinck, and Rashid Sumaila, many thanks for being the members of the assessment committee. Your contributions strengthened the final version of this research.To all the staff at Maastricht School of Governance and UNU-Merit, thank you so much for your support and patience over these years. Mindel Van de Laar, many thanks for your guidance, openness, and straightforwardness; they were always timely and helpful to navigate the PhD process. To the GPAC coordination team, especially Shivani Achrekar, Charlotte Mueller, Cristina Mancigottti, and Paris Cosma, many thanks for helping us, GPAC students, with all the logistics during our visits to Maastricht. Your support and smiles make our PhD journey smoother and nicer. It was great to meet you all.viii Ale, Paulina, Ivana, Renata, Nikito, Mayú, and Mamatina, many thanks for the care, warmth, and laughs you always bring to my life. Víctor Fernández and Sander Jobse, many thanks for letting me stay at your places on my layovers in Amsterdam and London. Life feels easier and funnier when we are together. Karla Amador, many thanks for being such a good friend, your calls and visits during the PhD; we always grow together. Fabricio Vargas, many thanks for our time together; our laughs and talks always inspire me to move forward. Juan Ignacio Álvarez, many thanks for inspiring and reminding me the peace and joy I am to live this process. Maru Anaya and Jaime Martínez, many thanks for your friendship and for keeping an eye on me during this pandemic and the PhD. And Chel, thank you for the unconditional love and company, our walks and runs together, with sunrises and sunsets, always refreshed my mind as I conducted this research. ix ix
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