The role of social norms on conservation programmes in shellfish fisheries

- Overexploitation of resources is a very significant problem around the world, despite multiple management initiatives.
- Conservation programmes are needed and little is known about shellfish gatherers' perceptions towards them.
- A survey with a choice experiment (CE) was conducted among a sample of shellfish gatherers.
- Social norms of compliance allow for the acceptance of restrictions imposed by conservation plans.
- Educational programmes may be required for understanding the general negative impacts of illegal fishing.

Ostrom (1990) has argued that in collective action problems, social factors are crucial in order to promote conservation. A survey instrument among shellfish gatherers has been used to analyse their preferences with respect to a proposed conservation management programme, assessing the effect of co-management initiatives and the impact of social norms on extraction. Results show that shellfish gatherers working in a Marine Protected Area (MPA) behave more conservatively with respect to their counterparts in terms of their current extraction patterns, promoting species conservation. With regards to social norms, expected believes about the fulfilment of the current extraction regulation in their network, allow for the acceptance of restrictions imposed by the conservation management plan without decreasing the shellfish gatherers' utility in any significant way.