Participatory socioeconomic analysis: drawing on fishermenʹs knowledge for marine protected area planning in California

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the utility of geospatial analysis tools for eliciting and integrating fishermenʹs11Although seemingly anachronistic, fishers of both genders tend to refer to themselves as fishermen. We follow this usage, rather than the more scholarly “fisher” or “fisherperson”. edge into marine protected area (MPA) planning processes in California, United States. A participatory design yielded 30 local knowledge interviews that were coded for socioeconomic and biodiversity information. The resulting information is useful in understanding past conflicts around MPA siting proposals and for identifying likely sources of agreement and disagreement. Products include a protocol for rapid socioeconomic assessment; a database of fishermenʹs knowledge and information; and a geographic information system for further use in Californiaʹs MPA planning process.