Social embeddedness of fisheries trade : What can we learn for improved market interventions towards sustainability?

• Efforts to drive a transformation towards sustainability in fisheries production have increasingly been characterized by market-based approaches, such as certifications, ratings, traceability schemes and Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs). These approaches are often based on the assumption that economic gain and business demand for sustainable seafood are enough to create change along the value chain, from producers to suppliers. Economic theories of rationality have dominated many market interventions, although these theories often do not hold up in reality. At the same time, non-economic aspects of markets are undervalued in the design of sustainable incentives, even though well-established social theories of embeddedness suggest market actors are in fact embedded in social relationships, institutions and culture, and that these filter and structure trade while also shaping actors’ economic behaviour and impact on the ecosystem.  In this paper we provide a literature review of how the theory of social embeddedness has been applied in literature about fisheries trade. In light of the noted shortcomings, we argue that a wider acknowledgement and understanding of how economic behaviour is embedded within fisheries systems is necessary to modified and improve current market-based approaches. By analysing empirical insights from published case studies, and identifying and synthesizing key social structures that appear as particularly important for fisheries trade, we explore the social aspects of fishery trade that market-based approaches will likely need to consider and account for to improve their success. Our review shows that three aspects will likely to be particularly important to consider; i) the importance of social identity and structures (e.g., ethnicity) for trade relationships and market access; ii) different forms of trust and the roles it plays in influencing trade strategies; and iii) the importance of community as local norm-setting for trade and trade as community builder. We end with a discussion on how future research areas can promote better design of sustainability interventions.  

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology (hsv//eng)

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