Governance Arrangements and Adaptive Capacity in Small-Scale Fisheries: Insights from Baja California Sur, Mexico

Document Type

Presentation

Date of Original Version

3-27-2026

Abstract

Small-scale fisheries are increasingly shaped by the combined pressures of ecological change, market uncertainty, and evolving governance systems, making adaptive capacity a central concern for the sustainability of fishing livelihoods. This study investigates how self-governance arrangements influence adaptive capacity among small-scale fishers in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Using household survey data from five fishing communities, the research compares cooperative members and permit holders across multiple domains of adaptive capacity, including assets, flexibility, learning, organization, and agency. Results from exploratory analysis and hierarchical logistic regression with predicted probabilities show that adaptive outcomes are not determined by governance structure alone but emerge from the interaction between institutional arrangements and individual livelihood strategies. Cooperative membership is associated with higher odds of reported household improvement, while species diversification and participation in rule enforcement stand out as key adaptive mechanisms. At the same time, pronounced variation across communities highlights the decisive role of localized social–ecological conditions in shaping resilience pathways. These findings underscore that adaptive capacity in small-scale fisheries is fundamentally relational and context-dependent, shaped by how governance institutions, livelihood flexibility, and place-based realities intersect. By empirically linking governance structures to household-level adaptive indicators, this study advances interdisciplinary understanding of resilience in resource-dependent systems and provides insight for designing context-sensitive policies to support more sustainable coastal futures.

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