Dimensions of legitimacy and trust in shaping social acceptance of marine aquaculture: An in-depth case study in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

A major challenge facing sustainable aquaculture governance are disputes raised by social conflicts, highlighting the need to better understand and incorporate social dimensions into more holistic planning and policy. This study applied an in-depth qualitative approach to investigate key drivers that influence social acceptance of salmon aquaculture, drawing from interviews in coastal communities in Nova Scotia, Canada. From interviews, four main perspectives towards the planning, management, and development of salmon farming emerged, revealing a complex discourse of conflicts and controversy. This study argues that social responses to aquaculture are driven by perceived legitimacy and trust of the sector. Conflicts over the perceived legitimacy of policies and processes emerged, including arguments around what motivates and informs decision-making and how participants are involved in decision-making processes. In addition, conflicting paradigms of knowledge and perceived fairness in engagement processes highlighted the need for transparency, communication, and relationship-building. Controversy over a diversity of perceived environmental and social impacts reflected nuanced perceptions of how aquaculture contributes to individual and community well-being. This study also found perceptions of legitimacy to be deeply intertwined with evaluations of trust in government, industry, and science, which is a key predictor of social responses. Understanding these perceptual factors, separately and with their interdependencies, can provide decision-makers with insights to guide their regulatory, operational, and engagement processes. Ultimately, this work can serve to facilitate a better understanding of the motivators behind public responses to salmon aquaculture which can help bring social considerations into more holistic aquaculture governance.