Abstract

Interdisciplinary approaches examining marine fisheries are vital to providing holistic views of these systems. Incorporating social science techniques helps provide researchers, managers, and policy makers with critical information on how stakeholders engage with fishery resources, how they interpret management and conservation efforts, and why they opt to embrace or ignore policies. Because these stakeholders are in constant contact with the resource, they possess a wealth of knowledge not often accessible to a researcher and have perceptions that impact how they engage within the fishery. Interweaving social considerations in fisheries work thus serves to provide a look beyond the ecological, biological, and physical to help give a broader perspective towards the quest for achieving sustainability. This poster will 1) highlight projects that utilize social science to conduct interdisciplinary investigations on two Bahamian fisheries (Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) and parrotfish) and 2) provide considerations for utilizing social science in future fisheries research. One project used an approach examining biophysical forces impacting spiny lobster paired with chief human activities within the fishery where data from several models and surveys/interviews were coupled to help create a robust assessment. The other seeks to understand the social drivers of an emerging parrotfish fishery by conducting a socio-economic survey analyzing motivations, perceptions, and attitudes. In both fisheries, the potential for human-induced changes to the ecosystem highlights the need for inquiries acknowledging natural and anthropogenic impacts. These projects also demonstrate that holistic analyses of fisheries focusing on dynamics between social, ecological, and economical factors is essential for successful management.

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