Adaptive capacity and local-level fisheries co-management activities: A case of South Korea

Abstract

Building upon the literature on the importance of adaptive capacity and co-management, this study investigates adaptive capacity as a type of community characteristic which can shape a community’s co-management activities, and how communities’ perception of adaptive capacity changes after engaging in co-management activities. While studies have examined the diverse factors that influence adaptive capacity, this study seeks to provide empirical evidence for the relationship between adaptive capacity and co-management activities in the context of South Korea. Using survey data from each fishery community leader or manager in South Korea, this study conducts multivariate regression analyses to investigate the relationship between fishing communities’ adaptive capacity and their co-management activities. This study conducts the paired samples one-tail t-test to examine changes in the communities’ perception of their adaptive capacity. Results suggest that adaptive capacity of each community relates to co-management activities and communities’ perception of adaptive capacity changed after performing co-management activities.