| The popularity of the 'tragedy of the commons' theory has guided the Canadian government to assume full management authority over fishery resources. However, contrary to the premise of this theory, communal resource management has been shown to exist and readily emerges as an effective response to the need to limit access to natural resources. Fishing communities around the world, including those of Atlantic Canada, function under such communal management systems.; This study documents the intricacies of communal management in the lobster fishery of the Grand Manan archipelago in the Bay of Fundy. Three sectors, the inshore, offshore, and below-the-ledges, distinguished by geography, gear type, and stage of development, comprise this fishery. A highly developed and effective communal management system was shown to exist only in the inshore, which is the oldest sector of the lobster fishery. The intermediate offshore sector displayed elements of communal management but lacked the complexity and stability of the inshore. In the newest, below-the-ledges sector, communal management is virtually absent.; Conservation serves as both a motivating factor and an indirect result of communal management strategies. However, a sense of powerlessness among local fishermen may be weakening the communal system on Grand Manan. The results of this study suggest that fishermen are capable of and interested in participating in the fisheries management process. It is recommended that the empowerment of coastal communities be accomplished by a regional grassroots effort which insists on the meaningful participation of local fishers in fisheries management. |
