Meeting Abstract
A coupled Social-Ecological System (SES) approach can be used to manage the interactions between people and their environment and is the standard for Maine’s Fisheries management programs. This allows coastal communities to exert direct management of resources with a focus on responsible use of the coastline, ensuring its future viability. Management and conservation goals for the soft shell clam Mya arenaria industry are linked to economic needs. State law requires municipalities with commercial shellfish operations to develop a management program, approved by the Department of Marine Resources. These plans specify conservation work required for license holders to maintain their licensure. Some state-recommended conservation work include population surveys, seeding, spat collection, and predation deterrents, as currently implemented by most municipal shellfish committees. We investigate and evaluate one shellfish conservation program and its impacts on management implications. Using surveys, engaging local clammers, and conducting field work, we found that local interpretation of these mandates fall short of their intended goals, despite adhering to state requirements. Specifically, despite clammers and shellfish managers investing significant time and money in their conservation program, no reliable clam population data is produced, leading to a lack of solid data to inform sustainable resource management. This illustrates that a coupled SES approach for shellfish management can produce large vulnerability in resource management that could result in mismanagement and deterioration of the respective resource.
