Caroline Pomeroy

Resource dependency and development options in coastal Southeast Asia

The concept of resource dependency has been used to describe the relationship between community stability and a variety of natural resource systems. Resource‐dependent communities frequently are described as being vulnerable to externally induced changes because of their reliance on a single resource system. Most of the literature on this topic has focused on North America. In this article, the concept of resource dependency is applied to the coastal zone of Southeast Asia. Resource dependency in this context takes on a very different form due to the complexity and high natural productivity of tropical coastal ecosystems. These conditions create multiple economic niches for coastal residents, thus providing an important measure of community stability within the coastal resource system. This stability is being challenged by development policies that promote economic specialization—the classic pitfall of resource‐dependent communities. An alternative ecosystem approach to coastal community development is pr...

Do Commercial Fishers Aggregate around Marine Reserves? Evidence from Big Creek Marine Ecological Reserve, Central California

Abstract Marine reserves have been widely touted as a promising strategy for managing fisheries and protecting marine biodiversity. However, their establishment can involve substantial social conflict and may not produce the anticipated biological and economic benefits. A crucial factor associated with the success of marine reserves for enhancing fisheries and protecting biodiversity is the spatial distribution of fishing activity. Fishers may be attracted to the perimeter of a reserve in expectation of spillover of adult fishes. This concentration of effort can reduce “spillover” of fish to the surrounding fishery and has major implications for the effectiveness of reserves in achieving ecological and socioeconomic goals. We examined the spatial distribution of fishing activity relative to Californias Big Creek Marine Ecological Reserve and found no aggregation near the reserve. We discuss the factors driving the spatial distribution of fishing activity relative to the reserve and the relevance of that ...

Figuring Out the Human Dimensions of Fisheries: Illuminating Models

Abstract Both natural scientists and economists commonly use quantitative data to create models of the systems that interest them and then use these models to inform fisheries management. Other social scientists rely on lengthier, descriptive texts based primarily on qualitative data to assess the human dimensions. To their dismay, fisheries social scientists find that much of their rich narrative with keen insights ends up filling pages that are neither read nor meaningfully integrated into decision-making in fisheries management. Nevertheless, what all scientists, practitioners, and managers want and need is information that will lead to a better understanding of the ecosystem (comprised of interdependent ecological and human systems) and therefore to fisheries management that benefits the whole system. Based on the belief that only a combination of high-quality quantitative and qualitative data will provide both the numbers and the context needed for success in ecosystem-based management, we discuss efforts to present social and cultural information in forms that are more familiar to those who rely on models for a representation of reality in the fisheries context. We point out how the designers of these models (or how we) think the models might be applied to fisheries management, noting how each model attempts to incorporate qualitative data to depict context essential for grounding the more commonly used biological and economic models. We also assess the benefits and limitations of these models, including the constraints on their development and use.

Adaptive Capacity of the Monterey Bay Wetfish Fisheries: Proactive Responses to the 2015–16 El Niño Event

Abstract Natural resource sustainability depends on adaptive capacity: the latent ability of a social–ecological system to rely on or implement effective strategies to cope with disturbances. We propose and implement a new three-step framework for studying a social–ecological system’s adaptive capacity that consists of assessment, strategy identification, and activation. We apply this framework to analyze the adaptive capacity of the Monterey Bay wetfish fisheries community in response to a significant stressor in the system: El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We conducted 49 semi-structured interviews with participants engaged in these fisheries and/or providing ENSO information. Of the 67 social–ecological strategies identified through a literature review, we found 42 contribute to high adaptive capacity to ENSO. The most influential strategies were matching formal and informal rules to system dynamics, diversifying livelihoods, enhancing economic safety nets, social learning, and accessing early warning systems. Our findings suggest approaches for enhancing adaptive capacity in other resource systems.