Identifying Stakeholders’ Values in British Columbia’s Pacific Herring Fishery

Pacific herring, as forage fish, provide a vital ecosystem service within marine food webs, as well as economic benefits to BC’s commercial herring industry and cultural benefits to coastal Aboriginal communities. Building on innovative participatory research in Haida Gwaii, this project will identify the values of BC herring industry stakeholders and their preferences for management. Debates about a fishery’s management typically ignore such normative considerations, focusing instead on descriptive biological and economic indicators, such as fish biomass and profit. Deeper ethical issues underlie BC’s herring conflict, such as distribution of benefits, conflicting stakeholder values, and differing perceptions of legitimacy in governance.

Faculty Supervisor:

Mimi Lam

Student:

Jeffrey Scott

Partner:

Skipper Otto’s Community Supported Fishery

Discipline:

Oceanography

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

Program: