Empathy and fisheries: an introduction

Hann, Allan F. (2012) Empathy and fisheries: an introduction. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF (Migrated (PDF/A Conversion) from original format: (application/pdf)) - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (20MB) [English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. (Original Version)

Abstract

Over the past two decades the world of industrial fishing has undergone a period of creative reorganization resulting in an influx of potential stakeholders and a move towards an ecosystem-based approach. Traditional 20th century approaches, narrowly defined in terms of utility and efficiency, have given way to a more holistic perspective. As fisheries became redefined as an urgent environmental stewardship issue, the 'Green Agenda' has gained considerable policy-making power. The emerging philosophical tension now revolves around the underlying societal image of what fisheries stewardship should look like. By using Rifkin's (2009) thesis, this paper attempts to introduce the increasingly popular idea of empathic progress as a conceptual framework to better understand fisheries stewardship. Ultimately, the ecosystem-based approach is identified as a unifying medium that is dependent upon more collaborative forums of stakeholder participation. This paper concludes that fisheries stewardship would be better understood if redefined through an empathic model of human nature. Also, the ecosystem-based approach, in both theory and practice, can indeed be explained as a manifestation of expanding empathy as described by Rifkin (2009).

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