Factors influencing participation of ‘top-down but voluntary’ fishery management—Empirical evidence from Taiwan

Taiwan has recently implemented a system of voluntary suspension of fishing activities as a means to reduce fishing efforts in offshore fisheries. This system is a top-down management approach but fishers voluntarily participate. Given the economic incentive offered, this system has not convinced a great number of fishers to participate. An understanding of what constitutes the underlying causes leading to fishers’ participation and non-participation provides fisheries managers with the opportunity to refine policy design and delivery. This paper aims to identify factors that may have potential to either promote or hinder fishers’ participation, and investigate the association between factors and fishers’ intention to participate using a logit regression model. The factors were classified into three categories: motive, constraint and fishers’ attitude toward resource use and management. A structured questionnaire including factors to collect empirical data from fishers was applied. The incentives in the form of reward did not seem sufficiently strong to draw fishers’ participation. However, fisher's positive view toward resource use and management enhanced intention to participate. This knowledge points out the importance of internalized resource stewardship among fishers in fishery management and can assist in developing fisheries management strategies aimed at enhancing fishers’ voluntary participation.