How the participants talk about “participation” in Mid-Atlantic fisheries management

The present paper asks how participants in the management discourse refer to industry participation. The analysis is based on 173 documents including interviews with participants, transcripts of the meetings of management agencies, articles, letters, memos, and postings on a recreational fisheries Internet chat room. Six groups of interpretations are suggested. “Working Together” draws on the idea that participation means pulling together to make management work. “Source of Accountability” means that because of participation people must be ready to explain their actions. “Mobilization” consists of the ways people talk about participation as mobilizing people who share their management goals. “Distrust” suggests that participation is a source of obstruction to the management process or, conversely, it is the co-optation of the industry by the management system. “Proper Process” suggests that participation should involve open communications or, conversely, that participation comes through proper channels. Finally, “Representation” suggests that participation should mean that the “will of the majority” prevails or, conversely, participation is the activity of those who have established credible claims to speak on behalf of interest groups. The paper outlines each of these categories in detail and provides illustrations. It concludes with a discussion of the relationship between participation and legitimacy.