Hiroe Ishihara, Ph.D.

Research

Hiroaki Sugino

Incorporating human social context into fisheries policies

Managers typically design fisheries policies to maintain fish populations, but they often overlook the role of local communities in putting new fishing practices in place. To have success when changing fisheries management practices, resource users and managers need to consider the communities and social networks in which fishers live and work. Hiroe Ishihara will research how human social networks affect fisheries management in Japan as the government implements reform legislation.

Ishihara will use case studies and a methodology called network analysis to assess how communities implement specific fisheries management strategies and how those strategies, in turn, affect the communities. For example, Japan is poised to more widely adopt a tradeable quota management system. And through her analyses, Ishihara will identify fisheries that are suitable for the quota system and those that would be more likely to benefit from maintaining current strategies.

She also will develop information for policymakers about the relationships between communities and fisheries management. Ultimately, this work could lead to evidence-based policies that enhance ecological, economic, and social sustainability.

To learn more about Ishihara, read her bio: https://researchmap.jp/hiroe_ishihara?lang=en

See the full list of 2020 Pew marine fellows