California Sea Grant Extension Specialist Carrie Pomeroy will be presenting at the 148th Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society – Communicating the Science of Fisheries Conservation to Diverse Audiences. She will speak on Tuesday, 21 August as part of the symposium: Social Science at the Policy Interface: Case Studies in Building Resilience.
Tuesday 21 August
10:20-10:40 Ask These Questions, Too: Building Capacity to Explore the Human Dimensions of Fisheries for Management
Abstract: A common perception in fishery management is that most fisheries are “data-poor” in terms of “socioeconomic” data, therefore limiting management’s ability to meaningfully address social and economic objectives related to fisheries, fishery participants, and communities. Although fisheries management often is beset by limited socioeconomic data, a more pressing issue in many cases is a lack of information about the human dimensions of fisheries -- along with limited capacity for transforming data into information and using it appropriately in the management process. This presentation focuses on a project to develop guidance and strengthen capacity for generating and using “socioeconomic essential fishery information” for California fisheries, where management policy has much in common with - and some key differences from - federal policy. Citing examples from state fishery management, we illustrate ways in which a social scientifically oriented lens can be used to frame questions and guide the collection, synthesis and analysis of various types and sources of data to generate information about fisheries’ human systems. This iterative, stepwise process can help meet pressing information needs relevant to ecological as well as social objectives of management, and highlights the importance of building information and understanding, not just data per se.