Sense of Place and Socio-cultural Values in Fishing Communities Along the English Channel

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the social and cultural impacts of marine fisheries in coastal communities. This chapter uses the idea of 'sense of place' to explore the material and perceptual relations that emerge as a result of marine fishing in a range of villages and towns in France and England along the English Channel. Currently sense of place is an underused concept in resource management in general and within fisheries management in particular. We show how sense of place can be used to make visible a range of social and cultural values that emerge from the process of marine fishing. These values can then be expressed within a cultural ecosystem services framework, potentially helping to make the results accessible to a broader range of stakeholders, including policy makers and those involved in developing sustainable communities. The chapter concludes with some thoughts about the usefulness of approaches like actor network theory in providing relational perspectives for understanding marine fisheries management.

A tale of two communities: Using relational place-making to examine fisheries policy in the Pribilof Island communities of St. George and St. Paul, Alaska

“…Much of this literature focuses on sense of place (e.g., Williams and Stewart 1998;Stedman 2003) and in fisheries management seeks to integrate sense of place into management as a description of cultural services for ecosystem based assessments Acott and Urquhart 2014) or to advocate for place-based management (Macinko 2007). We see this as a beneficial, but limiting approach.…”

“…These programs explicitly prioritize economic relationships over social and cultural ones. A large body of research, however, indicates that the relationships fishermen and community residents have with fish resources are much broader and more complex than can be encompassed in strictly economic terms (Poe et al 2014;Acott and Urquhart 2014). Thus policies that privatize fishing rights, though often presented as apolitical, "rational" policies, actually serve to advance the political motivations of specific stakeholders, at the expense of others (e.g., Carothers 2008;Palsson and Helgason 1995).…”

Sportfisheries, conservation and sustainable livelihoods: a multidisciplinary guide to developing best practice

“…The introduction of values and practices from developed countries into traditional societies needs to be managed carefully. In general, fisheries management strategies, policies and best practice guidelines will depend on the way the fishery resource is used by local communities (Policansky ; Cova and White ; Acott and Urquhart ). Thus, understanding fishing communities as social structures and the historical value (both as a resource and cultural) of these fisheries to local communities should be taken into account when developing best practice guidelines for a sustainable sportfishery (Cova and White ; Acott and Urquhart ).…”

“…Consult with and assess individual locations/villagers to determine the best business model for each particular case, so that sportfishing tourism benefits local people Economic Implement a sustainable livelihood approach, which includes short-term coping mechanisms and longer-term capacity building 2002; Cova and White 2010;Acott and Urquhart 2014). Thus, understanding fishing communities as social structures and the historical value (both as a resource and cultural) of these fisheries to local communities should be taken into account when developing best practice guidelines for a sustainable sportfishery (Cova and White 2010;Acott and Urquhart 2014). While the need for research into local cultural norms and behaviour is recognized (e.g.…”

Considering the importance of metaphors for marine conservation

“…64] rightly states, it is important to note the "heterogeneity in society's connection with the sea and to incorporate this into conservation engagement efforts." Although there exists a public awareness issue when it comes to issues facing the marine environment, this does not mean that societies do not value the oceans in a myriad of different ways [47][48][49]. Cultural relationships with the oceanic environment are often rooted in socio-historical pasts.…”