Ethical Value of Coastal Resources as Implicit Driver for Conservation: Insights into Artisanal Fishers’ Perceptions

The sustainability of coastal ecosystem resources hinges on collective action; however, conservation programs often fail when the underlying values that shape human behavior are overlooked. Anchored in behavioral change theory and common-pool resource governance, this study explores artisanal fishers’ subconscious value orientations as drivers of conservation. Relational value, as defined by IPBES, was used to assess the strength of the relationship between artisanal fishers and coastal resources. Principal Component Analysis of survey data revealed three value components, Natural Legacy Value (NLV), Non-Economic Value (NEV), and Economic Value (EV), and two conservation orientations, tangible and intangible. Relational valuation, blending intrinsic and instrumental motives, strongly influences conservation attitudes. NEV correlates with religion and intangible measures (knowledge, cultural practices) (R = 0.153, p < 0.05), while EV supports both tangible and intangible strategies but none of the demographic factors, indicating strategic leverage points for inclusive engagement. Conversely, NLV’s negative association with tangible measures reflects cultural sensitivities that can hinder compliance. The results suggest that embedding value-sensitive approaches into co-management frameworks can foster trust, reciprocity, and behavioral change, key elements in Ostrom’s design principles. This study contributes to sustainability science by linking socio-psychological drivers to governance strategies for promoting coastal socio-ecological systems resilience.