Strategic dynamics in the fishing Field: An egocentric network analysis of small-scale fishing communities in Chile

Artisanal/small-scale fishers employ diverse strategies to navigate the fishing field, balancing access to resources with their institutional relationships. Within the framework of field theory, this study applies an egocentric network analysis to examine these strategies in fishing communities in central and south-central Chile. In doing so, we explore how the fishers mobilize different forms of capital and adjust their strategies within a field structured by power relations, competition, and disputes over resource access and the legitimacy of regulations. The results reveal that the fishers maintain stronger ties with associations and market actors, while their connections with control and financing agencies are comparatively weaker. Heterogeneity in the networks varies, reflecting a tension between diversity in institutions and efficiency in mobilizing resources. A cluster analysis identified three field action strategies, understood as the ways in which the fishers either stabilize their position or reconfigure their location within the fishing field: (1) leveraging fishers associations to strengthen social and cultural capital, (2) diversifying connections with governance and market actors to access symbolic and economic capital, and (3) engaging with research and financing organizations to secure technological and informational capital. These findings underscore the key role of network structure, relational proximity, and strategic variety in the fishing field, providing significant insights on the governance problem of artisanal fishing.