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Micro-level explanations for emergent patterns of self-governance arrangements in small-scale fisheries-A modeling approach.

Authors :
Lindkvist E
Basurto X
Schlüter M
Source :
PloS one [PLoS One] 2017 Apr 13; Vol. 12 (4), pp. e0175532. Date of Electronic Publication: 2017 Apr 13 (Print Publication: 2017).
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) in developing countries are expected to play a significant role in poverty alleviation and enhancing food security in the decades to come. To realize this expectation, a better understanding of their informal self-governance arrangements is critical for developing policies that can improve fishers' livelihoods and lead to sustainable ecosystem stewardship. The goal of this paper is to develop a more nuanced understanding of micro-level factors-such as fishers' characteristics and behavior-to explain observed differences in self-governance arrangements in Northwest Mexico. We focus on two ubiquitous forms of self-governance: hierarchical non-cooperative arrangements between fishers and fishbuyers, such as patron-client relationships (PCs), versus more cooperative arrangements amongst fishers, such as fishing cooperatives (co-ops). We developed an agent-based model of an archetypical SSF that captures key hypotheses from in-depth fieldwork in Northwest Mexico of fishers' day-to-day fishing and trading. Results from our model indicate that high diversity in fishers' reliability, and low initial trust between co-op members, makes co-ops' establishment difficult. PCs cope better with this kind of diversity because, in contrast to co-ops, they have more flexibility in choosing whom to work with. However, once co-ops establish, they cope better with seasonal variability in fish abundance and provide long-term security for the fishers. We argue that existing levels of trust and diversity among fishers matter for different self-governance arrangements to establish and persist, and should therefore be taken into account when developing better, targeted policies for improved SSFs governance.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
1932-6203
Volume :
12
Issue :
4
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
PloS one
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
28406935
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175532