Threats perceived by five prominent U.S. commercial fisheries

ABSTRACT Objective Regulations and ecosystem changes can have profound effects on commercial fishermen’s livelihoods. Consequently, there has been an increasing emphasis on including stakeholder inputs and perceptions into fisheries regulatory processes. However, these assessments typically focus on a single fishery and are often limited to a single pressure. We used a public document review followed by focus groups with members of the commercial fishing industry to compare the array of risks across multiple fisheries. Methods We identified the suite of recent threats perceived by five commercial fisheries in the U.S. Atlantic Northeast and Pacific Northwest: the Alaskan Directed Halibut fishery (Pacific Halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis); the Bering Sea Pollock Catcher–Processor fishery (Walleye Pollock Gadus chalcogrammus); the Central Gulf of Alaska Trawl fishery, homeported in Kodiak, Alaska; the Northeast Multispecies Groundfish fishery; and the Sea Scallop fishery (Atlantic sea scallop Placopecten magellanicus). Risks were identified for each fishery through a public document review (e.g., fishing industry-focused outlets, local news sources, and government documents, including fishery management council meeting minutes and public comments), followed by focus groups with members of each fishery to clarify, refine, and identify additional risks. Results Risks that manifested in public domains were largely different—and incomplete—compared to what members of the fishing industry believed were relevant. Further, the fishing industry is concerned with risks that management is not currently designed to address. Finally, despite each fishery having distinct operational, structural, and geographic differences, many of the identified risks were similar or even identical across fisheries. Conclusions Examining and sharing the lessons learned about risk perceptions across these fisheries highlight both challenges and potential strategies for enhancing fishery resiliency in the United States.