Institutional challenges for effective governance of consumptive wildlife tourism: case studies of marine angling tourism in Iceland and Norway

Abstract

Good governance of consumptive wildlife tourism, a complex socio-ecological system, requires finding the right balance between natural resource and tourism management. Fishing takes the lead globally as the most popular product offering within consumptive wildlife tourism, and both Iceland and Norway offer a marine angling tourism product. The two countries offer similar pristine Arctic fjord topography and similar fish species; but the management strategies are very different. Iceland's management strategy for marine angling tourism prioritizes ecosystem-based management of the fish as a living resource, and requires a full accounting of all statistics related to marine angling tourists' activities. Norway's strategy relies on estimates of key statistics such as total seasonal catch, and the regulations put the burden of accountability primarily on the tourists. Using data from a multiple case study analysis of marine angling tourism in Iceland and Norway, the differences in governance inter-dynamics are examined using a theoretical model developed to analyse a complex socio-ecological system as an institution. This paper analyses how the differing management strategies influence institutional function, conflict creation and mitigation. Special focus is placed on the impacts of non-compliance by the tourists. This study demonstrates how such a model can serve as a tool to perform an analysis of a socio-ecological system in order to better understand institutional inter-dynamics, thereby assisting in the creation of a more effective governance strategy.

Tourism village development strategy using Analytic Network Process (ANP)

“…The study of the causes of conflicts outlines the ongoing disputes among interest groups, and the relationships associated with the development process, and shows how differences in perception are embedded. Structures dominated by power relations create conflicts and emphasize the need for collaborative networks in tourism because institutional structures affect tourism governance; their conditions and dynamics impact institutional functioning, conflict creation, and mitigation (Lee et al, 2010;Solstrand, 2015).…”

Angling tourism: A state-of-the-art review

“…Studies show contrasting approaches towards angling tourism management in different countries. For example, Solstrand (2013Solstrand ( , 2015 has examined Iceland's and Norway's management strategies in marine angling tourism. She points out that despite that the two countries are rooted in the same socio-cultural values, they developed very different management strategies.…”

Urban–rural flows from seasonal tourism and second homes: Planning challenges and strategies in the Nordics

“…Creating awareness of the significance of tourism, especially in relation to place attractiveness and to businesses is crucial for regional and local development. Previous studies report on disputes over resource use because of seasonal tourism (Adamiak et al, 2017;Müller and Hoogendoorn, 2013;Solstrand, 2015;Tyrväinen et al, 2017;Åkerlund et al, 2015), and note that communication around the values of the seasonal or mobile part of the population have been useful for solving the disputes (Müller and Hoogendoorn, 2013).…”