Role of Resource Users’ Knowledge for Developing Realistic Strategies for a Circular Economy for Plastics from the Norwegian Fishing Sector.

Abstract

The complexity of resource management often demands an integration of transdisciplinary methods to find sustainable solutions. The absence of aggregated scientific information threatens holistic and robust resource management. Contrary to traditional resource management studies, the involvement and engagement of resource users are prioritized here. As resource users and stakeholders are significant, yet unexplored sources of information, this study presents a stepwise approach that includes resource users’ local ecological knowledge in gathering the information necessary for resource management. The framework’s application is then demonstrated in the case of plastic fishing gear deployed by the commercial fishing fleet of Norway. The insights from stakeholders were used to ascertain potential barriers and opportunities in establishing circular and sustainable management strategies for Fishing gear resource management in Norway.