Lisa L. Colburn

Social Indicators of Gentrification Pressure in Fishing Communities: A Context for Social Impact Assessment

The use of social indicators in this analysis of coastal communities enhances the evaluation of the combined impacts of changes in fisheries management regulations and gentrification for fisheries social impact assessments. Increasing population pressure, declining fish stocks, and the attractiveness of natural amenities have all led to demographic shifts and economic transformations for many coastal communities dependent on fishing. This impact of “gentrification” on the commercial fishing industry often precipitates a move toward non-marine based economies that can displace local residents and their dependence on fishing as a way of life with resulting impacts to local economies and cultures. Drawing on the United States Census, National Marine Fisheries Service, and other secondary data sources, social indicators were developed for 2,948 coastal communities in the Eastern United States and Gulf Coast and were used to evaluate gentrification pressure in select communities highly engaged in fishing. We anticipate this methodology, when groundtruthed and then combined with time-series assessments, will lead to improvements in the assessment of fishing community vulnerability and resilience for the conduct of fisheries social impact assessments.

Aspects of Fishery Management, Job Satisfaction, and Well-Being among Commercial Fishermen in the Northeast Region of the United States

The complexity and rapid changes in fishery management approaches have forced fishermen to adopt strategies that may not be congruent with the original appeal of fishing as an occupation. Changes in fish populations and resulting efforts to manage stocks can impact job characteristics that influence job satisfaction (social–psychological needs, basic needs, and self-actualization) and potentially well-being. This hypothesis is addressed through examination of job satisfaction and well-being among 478 fishermen in three subregions of the northeastern United States. The results demonstrate that differences between the mix of regional fisheries and attitudes toward regulations affect two components of job satisfaction and well-being but not self-actualization. Managements attempts to reduce fishing effort therefore need to account for the persistence of self-actualization by either developing appropriate alternative occupations or preparing for the consequences of lower job satisfaction on the well-being of fishermen forced to leave the occupation.

The Role of Oral Histories in the Conduct of Fisheries Social Impact Assessments in Northeast US

In the US and elsewhere, a social impact assessment is required when the government implements regulations affecting the human environment. Because there is no standardized approach for conducting social impact assessments, an array of methods and data types are used. While greater validity is currently given to quantitative data and methods, we argue that the use of focused oral histories provides more timely and in-depth information on current conditions and potential impacts than is otherwise available in the limited time frame in which social impact assessments are often conducted. Further, oral histories provide a contextual framework for understanding quantitative results. Here we discuss the process by which oral histories contribute to the conduct of social impact assessments.