In recent years concern over the mismanagement and depletion of ournatural resources has grown. Innovative responses to this trend havebeen developed in the management of fisheries when groups orcommunities of fishermen and various levels of government in Canada andthe United States have worked out agreements to sharedecision-making.
This book is the first to consolidate information on the differentroutes by which these co-operative management arrangements haveevolved. The authors include anthropologists, environmental planners,biologists, economists, fishery managers and tribal and governmentalleaders. Their contributions examine the process of achievingco-management, the institutions created by co-management arrangements,and the benefits which result. Some of these benefits include moreefficient and equitable management, less conflict between governmentand fishermen, and better co-operation between groups of fishermen.
As the cost of centralized government rises and asresource-dependent regions demand greater control over development, co-operative management will become one of the most important means ofregulating the use of certain natural resources.
Co-operative Management of Local Fisheries looks atsuccesses and failures of these arrangements for shared decision-makingand offers guidelines for viable co-operative management.