| Summary: | This study seeks to examine the participation and representation of stakeholders involved in the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force during their first year, culminating in the publishing of their Year One Report and Recommendations for actions with the goal of moving the Southern Resident killer whales toward recovery. This examination of participation and representation was achieved through a coding process using the constant comparison approach, where stakeholder groups and argument types in discussion were determined and coded separately. The arguments were then connected to the stakeholder that the argument addressed. It was found that presence within the task force was not equivalent to participation and representation. Government stakeholders participated strongly in the task force with a large presence, but tribal representatives, with the second largest presence in the task force, did not demonstrate similar metrics of participation. Government and research stakeholders were likewise highly represented in the task force discussions, while recreational stakeholders and tribal representatives were not. It is important to evaluate participation and representation within the task force in order to address the public distrust in the policymaking process.
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