“It’s like a church”: Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) hatchery and stocking programs as producers of capital in conservation-based social networks in Nova Scotia, Canada.

In Atlantic Canada, limited information exists on the social and human dimensions of captive rearing and stocking of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and the contested use of these tools for conservation purposes. The study uses social network analysis to identify and characterize social networks and their outputs (i.e., capital) related to salmon rearing and stocking. 20 interviews were conducted across two case studies centered around the Province of Nova Scotia’s Atlantic Salmon Enhancement Program. Results show that hatchery and stocking activities are supported by, and likely support, complex social networks and are perceived as important, if not well-defined, components of local Atlantic salmon conservation. Those networks produce a variety of social capitals at the individual and network level that have positive impacts on people and salmon conservation efforts, but may also act as barriers to change. We embed these findings in the growing human dimensions literature on salmonid conservation rearing and stocking, and offer insights in accounting for and valuing the social outcomes of hatchery and stocking activities in this region.