Adaptive Co-Management and the Need for Situated Thinking in Collaborative Conservation

Abstract

The adaptive co-management paradigm is a marked departure from past rational-comprehensive models for conservation and natural resources management. Its potential to enhance social–ecological resilience and address the “problem of fit” makes it useful in different places and circumstances. This article argues that “situated thinking” is required when the transferral of collaborative conservation approaches such as adaptive co-management is contemplated. As such, literature addressing the role of context in natural resources management is reviewed and frames the exploration of two distinct case studies—a recreational fishery in Ontario, Canada, and a shell fishery on the Kyushu Island, Japan. This inductive approach subsequently leads us to propose a framework that potentially could assist professionals and policy makers in their application of collaborative conservation strategies such as adaptive co-management in various contexts to enhance adaptability.

Keywords:

• adaptive co-management
• context
• fisheries
• fit
• policy transfer

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Bruce Lauber and Daniel Decker for organizing this special issue. Our appreciation is also extended to the anonymous reviewers, Derek Armitage, Warren Yerex, Nobutaka Honjo from the Matama Fishery Co-op, and the staff of the Shallow Water Research Centre for providing insightful comments and invaluable assistance. Generous support for this research came from Brock University (Chancellor's Chair for Research Excellence) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (Improving Water Governance Through Policy Transfer and Lesson Learning).