Contextualizing marine resource use: a case from The Netherlands

Abstract

The exploitation of renewable marine resources is fraught with problems. Several academics claim that the behaviour of fishermen is causing a tragedy of the commons. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that focusing exclusively on fishermen's actions is insufficient to understand the fisheries as an evolving system. Therefore, we should devote ample attention to the wider context in which fishermen operate, the unintended and unforeseen consequences of their behaviour, and that of fisheries policy and management, and the feedback dynamics which give rise to new coping responses. This paper uses developments in oyster fishing and farming in the Dutch province of Zeeland to illustrate these points. It also deals with the implications of the contextualist position for theory, policy and management. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.