s. Lobstermen’s decreased income level resulted in a decline in the local boat and trap building industries (Steneck et al., 2011). In addition, many areas resulted in a decrease in working waterfront as the preexisting debt for lobstermen became unmanageable, forcing them to sell their shorefront properties (Steneck et al., 2011). Should this trend continue, the gentrification of Maine’s coast could eliminate the opportunity for participants to engage in this industry due to the lack of public access.
Statement of Problem Certainly the tentative challenges that will be faced by Maine’s lobstermen are not unique. In fact, Acheson and Gardner (2014), estimated that the global dependence on marine resources has prompted 86.9% of the global fisheries to reach varying levels of overexploitation, posing immediate financial concerns to many coastal communities. Stock deficits …show more content…
To the benefit of current stakeholders, participants in Maine’s lobstering industry have historically been diligent in their efforts preserve this resource. In fact, Maine is frequently used as a model for “co-management”, due to the way it uses a “top-down management” strategy to allow a multitude of stakeholders to participate in the creation of legislation relevant to the industry (Berkes, 2008, p. 1692). Furthermore, this style places an emphasis on the sharing of “power and responsibility between the government and local resource users” (Berkes, 2008, p. 1692). As a result this strategy encourages users ‘skills and first-hand knowledge to provide “effective and equitable” solutions to immediate management challenges (Jentoft, McCay, & Wilson,