Social Wellbeing in Small-Scale Fisheries Management

Social wellbeing in small-scale fisheries management encompasses the material, relational and subjective dimensions of fishers’ lives and livelihoods. Material wellbeing refers to access to income, food security and basic services; relational wellbeing covers social networks, community cohesion and governance participation; and subjective wellbeing captures fishers’ sense of fulfilment, autonomy and cultural identity. Effective management recognises that ecological sustainability cannot be separated from the social contexts in which fishers operate. Integrative approaches link ecosystem health with human welfare, ensuring that policy decisions support equitable resource access, foster resilience to environmental change and enable local stewardship. Emphasis is placed on participatory governance, adaptive management and the co-production of knowledge with fishing communities. Across diverse contexts—from coastal villages in West Africa to indigenous communities in the Arctic—research highlights the importance of tailoring interventions to local values, traditions and power relations. Social wellbeing frameworks inform regulatory measures, rights-based allocations and community development initiatives, emphasising that long-term viability of small-scale fisheries depends on simultaneously sustaining fish stocks and human capacities. Practical applications include joint management councils, community quotas and livelihood diversification schemes, each designed to enhance trust, build social capital and mitigate conflicts. By foregrounding the human dimension, managers and policymakers can promote justice, inclusion and resilience in the face of climate variability, market fluctuations and governance challenges.

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Social Wellbeing in Small-Scale Fisheries Management publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in social wellbeing in small-scale fisheries management across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Adaptive management: A structured, iterative approach to decision-making that tests hypotheses, monitors outcomes and adjusts interventions based on new information.

Relational wellbeing: The quality of social networks, trust, governance participation and community cohesion that support individuals’ sense of belonging and agency.

Small-scale fisheries: Diverse, predominantly labour-intensive fishing activities conducted by individuals or communities, often for subsistence or local markets.

Subjective wellbeing: Individuals’ self-assessed sense of happiness, fulfilment and life satisfaction within a given social and environmental context.

Wellbeing framework: An analytical structure that organises material, relational and subjective dimensions to assess human welfare in environmental management.

References

1. Assessing the sustainability and equity of Alaska salmon fisheries through a well-being framework. Ecology and Society (2020).
2. Factors Influencing Small-Scale Fishers’ Individual Perceived Wellbeing Satisfaction in Southern Benin. Sustainability (2021).
3. Guiding principles for integrating stakeholder‐based data into marine fisheries decision‐making with a focus on USA fisheries management. Fish and Fisheries (2022).