A Mixed-Methods Approach to Inform Management of the Norwegain Coastal Zone

• Main Authors: Falk-Andersson, Jannike, Aanesen, Margrethe, Westskog, Hege
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English; unknown
• Subjects: Aquaculture > Economic aspects; Seafood industry > Congresses; Fishery management > Congresses; Seafood > Marketing; Northern Norway
• Online Access: https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/conference_proceedings_or_journals/5h73px97g

Conflicts over the use of coastal areas are expected to increase in Norway in the future. In Northern Norway, salmon aquaculture and marine fishing tourism are expected to expand, affecting both the space available for other uses and ecosystems, including traditionally harvested fish stocks. While data is available to managers on biological and commercial values, information on non-commercial uses and values of the coastal zone is lacking. A mixed-method approach was applied to capture these: focus groups informed a choice experiment (CE) survey on willingness to pay to prevent commercial expansion and negative environmental impacts. An open-ended question included in the survey and one-to-one interviews were used to inform survey results. While the CE reflects preferences in terms of money, the other approaches reviled that non-monetary values were central in people's relations to the coast. Furthermore, many were skeptical towards the salmon aquaculture industry, which represents 70% of the Norwegian seafood export. Many said that the industry should be land-based, and felt that the industry had failed to address the problem of lice and escapees affecting wild salmon stocks. They called for the industry to take economic responsibility for their negative environmental impacts, some of which they claimed affected wild-stocks and the culturally and economically important coastal fisheries. While the CE forces an either-or response, a number of the respondents said that there is enough space to allow for both recreation and industry. Some even stressed that commercial activities is a prerequisite for coastal settlement and contributes to their well-being. Proceedings of the Eighteenth Biennial Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade, held July 11-15, 2016 at Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Center (AECC), Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.