Over-fished and Under-managed:
Can Co-management be Used to Better Manage the Rhode Island Lobster Fishery?

Alyssa Arcaya
Bachelors of Arts in Environmental Studies
May 2003

For several years, the populations of many marine species have been declining in Rhode Island. The lobster industry, one of the most valuable fisheries in the state, has experienced an especially drastic decline. In 2001, the Rhode Island government began a legislative process that would overhaul the state’s fishery licensing and management laws. The University of Rhode Island’s Coastal Institute conducted a forum that brought managers, government officials, academics and fishery users together to share opinions and create policy suggestions for fishery management. This “Coastal Institute process” contributed to and influenced the legislative process that eventually produced Senate Bill 2771. The bill contributed to major changes to fisheries management law. Most importantly, it limited fishing effort and new entry into many fishing sectors. It also mandated the development of management plans for every marine species; these plans would change according to stock status. The flexibility of the new legislation allows for new management possibilities to be explored. One of these possibilities is co-management. Co-management is a partnership between resource users and the government whereby both parties work together to protect a resource. This thesis asked whether co-management is a useful and appropriate management tool for the Rhode Island lobster fishery.

I examined the Coastal Institute process by means of attendance at general meetings, forums and lobster subcommittee meetings. I also spoke with government officials, academics and resource users about their opinions and suggestions. I studied the use of co-management in different fisheries and explored how this technique might be used in the Rhode Island lobster fishery. This thesis examined an indigenous fishery in St. James Bay, Canada, coastal fisheries in Japan and Maine’s lobster fishery. Each of these successful co-management regimes shares common elements that allow that arrangement to work. The thesis asks whether Rhode Island shares some of these characteristics, and whether co-management could be successfully integrated in Rhode Island.

This thesis finds that co-management is a reasonable means for improving lobster management in Rhode Island. The fishery shares many characteristics with successful co-management regimes around the world. Many resource users are interested in management and might be willing to take on more responsibilities. The state government and the Department of Environmental Management are willing to work with industry members to create policy and solve problems. Several obstacles stand in the way of implementing co-management in the state, however. Such a system requires an input of time and money to get started. The willingness of some industry members to get more involved in management is questionable and should be examined. Nevertheless, the success of the Coastal Institute process shows that a successful partnership between users and the government already exists. This relationship can be solidified and expanded by means of co-management.