A science-industry study of the distribution of fishing benefits to the community of Grand Manan, Bay of Fundy

Abstract

To assess the state of Canadian fisheries, it is important to measure how benefits are distributed within, and across fishing communities and how this changes over time. I collaborated with government and industry members to identify and examine a suitable set of social and economic indicators that can satisfy this objective. Examining Grand Manan, New Brunswick, and communities in the Maritimes Region of Atlantic Canada, I tested the indicators using quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative methods included proportional trend, Lorenz Curve, Gini Coefficient, and spatial analyses. I collected qualitative data from participants who were knowledgeable of Grand Manan fisheries. I analyzed three case fisheries (lobster, herring purse seine, and mobile groundfish) for comparison based on: reports of changing distribution of community benefits, data availability, and the ability to interview knowledgeable participants. The results revealed that there was increasing unevenness in the distribution of benefits among and across communities, over time. Survey data documented a series of factors (e.g. resource scarcity, financial unviability, asset transferability, and a short-sighted management regime) which are driving the widening unevenness and reinforcing negative community effects. This research has the potential to guide future efforts which aim to understand distribution of benefits in fisheries, which is critical to policy and sustainable communities.