TY - JOUR
T1 - Economic and sociocultural impacts of fisheries closures in two fishing-dependent communities following the massive 2015 U.S. West Coast harmful algal bloom
AU - Ritzman, Jerilyn
AU - Brodbeck, Amy
AU - Brostrom, Sara
AU - McGrew, Scott
AU - Dreyer, Stacia
AU - Klinger, Terrie
AU - Moore, Stephanie K.
N1 - Funding Information:
Sincere thanks to the residents of Crescent City, California and Long Beach, Washington for their willingness to discuss life in their communities. We appreciate the generosity from the City of Long Beach and Ilwaco and Crescent City Coast Guard Auxiliary for providing space to conduct interviews out of the rain. A big thanks to Kathryn Blair and Michael Cline for their contributions to the interview data collection process. Thanks also to Vera Trainer, Dan Ayers and Jerry Borchert for providing guidance in the natural sciences and management realms. John Spengler provided valuable advice and assistance in conceptualizing this study. This work was supported by the JPB Foundation and a JPB Environmental Health Fellowship award granted by The JPB Foundation and managed by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health.[CG]
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - In the spring of 2015, a massive harmful algal bloom (HAB) of the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia occurred on the U.S. West Coast, resulting in the largest recorded outbreak of the toxin domoic acid and causing fisheries closures. Closures extended into 2016 and generated an economic shock for coastal fishing communities. This study examines the economic and sociocultural impacts of the Dungeness crab and razor clam fisheries closures on two fishing-dependent communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 community members from two communities impacted by the event – Crescent City, California and Long Beach, Washington. Interviewees included those involved in the fishing, hospitality, and retail industries, local government officials, recreational harvesters, and others. Interviews probed aspects of resilience in economic, social, institutional, and physical domains, based on the contention that community resilience will influence the communities’ ability to withstand HAB events. Dimensions of vulnerability were also explored, encompassing sensitivity of the communities to HAB events and their adaptive capacity. Common themes that emerged from the interview responses indicate that economic hardships extended beyond fishing-related operations and permeated through other sectors, particularly the hospitality industry. Significant barriers to accessing financial and employment assistance during extended fisheries closures were identified, particularly for fishers. Long-held traditions surrounding crab and shellfish harvest and consumption were disrupted, threatening the cultural identities of the affected communities. Community members expressed a desire for clearer, more thorough, and more rapid dissemination of information regarding the management of fisheries closures and the health risks associated with HAB toxins. The likelihood of intensifying HABs under climate change heightens the need for actions to increase the resilience of fishing communities to the economic and sociocultural impacts caused by HAB-related fisheries closures.
AB - In the spring of 2015, a massive harmful algal bloom (HAB) of the toxin-producing diatom Pseudo-nitzschia occurred on the U.S. West Coast, resulting in the largest recorded outbreak of the toxin domoic acid and causing fisheries closures. Closures extended into 2016 and generated an economic shock for coastal fishing communities. This study examines the economic and sociocultural impacts of the Dungeness crab and razor clam fisheries closures on two fishing-dependent communities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 36 community members from two communities impacted by the event – Crescent City, California and Long Beach, Washington. Interviewees included those involved in the fishing, hospitality, and retail industries, local government officials, recreational harvesters, and others. Interviews probed aspects of resilience in economic, social, institutional, and physical domains, based on the contention that community resilience will influence the communities’ ability to withstand HAB events. Dimensions of vulnerability were also explored, encompassing sensitivity of the communities to HAB events and their adaptive capacity. Common themes that emerged from the interview responses indicate that economic hardships extended beyond fishing-related operations and permeated through other sectors, particularly the hospitality industry. Significant barriers to accessing financial and employment assistance during extended fisheries closures were identified, particularly for fishers. Long-held traditions surrounding crab and shellfish harvest and consumption were disrupted, threatening the cultural identities of the affected communities. Community members expressed a desire for clearer, more thorough, and more rapid dissemination of information regarding the management of fisheries closures and the health risks associated with HAB toxins. The likelihood of intensifying HABs under climate change heightens the need for actions to increase the resilience of fishing communities to the economic and sociocultural impacts caused by HAB-related fisheries closures.
KW - Community resilience
KW - Domoic acid
KW - Economic impacts
KW - Fisheries closures
KW - Pseudo-nitzschia
KW - Sociocultural impacts
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85053838765&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85053838765&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.hal.2018.09.002
DO - 10.1016/j.hal.2018.09.002
M3 - Article
C2 - 30502810
AN - SCOPUS:85053838765
SN - 1568-9883
VL - 80
SP - 35
EP - 45
JO - Harmful Algae
JF - Harmful Algae
ER -