Empowerment and regulation – dilemmas in participatory fisheries science

Abstract

Using a perspective from the sociology of knowledge, this study identifies some ‘dilemmas of participatory research’. We look at how social relationships between fishers and scientists develop around the exchange of fishers’ knowledge in particular institutional contexts. We survey the general types and global examples of fisher–scientist relationships in terms of how they approach the integration of fishers’ and scientists’ knowledge. Based on an empirical study of three European cases of participatory research, we then discuss five dilemmas that tend to characterize fisher–scientist relationships. These dilemmas centre on the relationship between fisheries research, fishery regulations and fishers as subjects of both regulation and participatory research endeavours. We argue that these dilemmas – experienced by both scientists and fishers – express an underlying tension between ‘empowering’ fishers to support the effective management of the fishing commons and the bureaucratic need to regulate the fishery as an industry.

Collaborative lessons towards marine sustainability: a long-term collective engagement

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Towards a diagnostic approach to climate adaptation for fisheries

“…Relationship building, collaboration and stakeholder participation are sometimes difficult to resource on an ongoing basis in both research or management, making inter-and trans-disciplinary assessment of risks and opportunities for adaptation challenging (Degnbol et al 2006;Jacobsen et al 2012;Miller et al 2010). …”

Una investigación participativa en la costa uruguaya: características, desafíos y oportunidades para la enseñanza universitaria

“…En el caso específico de las pesquerías, la creciente aplicación de investigaciones participativas desde los años 2000 (también conocidas como investigaciones pesqueras cooperativas), y/o de investigaciones con cierto grado de participación local, está vinculada con la prevalencia de relaciones conflictivas entre pescadores, gestores e investigadores, lo cual dificulta el manejo o gestión de los recursos pesqueros (Kaplan & McCay, 2004;Wiber et al, 2004;2009;Conway & Pomeroy, 2006;Hartley & Robertson, 2006;Johnson & van Densen, 2007;Jacobsen et al, 2012). A pesar de su creciente aplicación, las investigaciones participativas en pesquerías, al igual que en otros contextos ambientales, han enfrentado varias dificultades, incluyendo, entre otros, el poco tiempo disponible por parte de los pescadores, su desconfianza sobre el destino final de los resultados de la investigación, y su escaso empoderamiento; menos oportunidades de publicación para los académicos; y la escasa participación de otros actores, como gestores y organizaciones para la conservación (Wiber et al, 2004;Conway & Pomeroy, 2006;Hartley & Robertson, 2006).…”