Facing change: Individual and institutional adaptation pathways in West Coast fishing communities

Abstract

As the impacts of ocean and climate change become more pronounced, fishing communities are experiencing unprecedented disruptions to social and economic life. We argue that a broader interpretation of adaptation is required for a comprehensive understanding of fishers’ adaptive responses. Instead of examining adaptation in relation to climate driven ocean changes alone, we argue that adaptive responses are shaped by and contingent on compounding social, economic, and environmental stressors. Although research has produced management frameworks to support adaptation, few concrete examples of management actions exist, particularly actions aimed at mitigating the impacts of compounding social and economic stressors. We share the results from a multi-sited case study in which we conducted a rapid ethnographic assessment of fishing communities on the US West Coast. By examining ocean change in the context of compounding stressors, our study brings two important points to light. First, fishers are employing a wider range of adaptation strategies than previously thought. Second, there are several unrealized institutional pathways that could support and remove barriers to adaption. Our analysis highlights how ocean change compounds existing stressors through two examples, labor shortages and finding new markets. Through this paper we argue that to support fishing community adaptation to climate change, agencies should explore a range of outside of the box solutions that address cumulative stressors.