Connecting Sea to Market
In a rapidly changing world, everyone along a value chain faces challenges. At the core of seafood chains, where society meets the ocean, stand small-scale fishers. They are central to bringing seafood to the plate, yet they bear the brunt of shifting environmental and social conditions. How can these fishers adapt and remain resilient in the face of constant change?
In a new study published in People and Nature, Humboldt Tipping researchers use network analysis to reveal how small-scale fishers in southern Peru navigate ecological and market dynamics. The findings show that the more options fishers have, whether in the species they catch, the places they fish, the gear they use, or the markets they sell to, the better they can respond to disruptions and secure their livelihoods.
The authors discuss four different ways how fishers may be interconnected in their seafood value chains—called archetypes—highlighting the various areas where fishers may be constrained in their choices and in turn their adaptive abilities. By making fishers behavior and market structures visible, the researchers provide a tool for designing management strategies that support resilience rather than impose rigid constraints.
Ultimately, the authors argue that by supporting diverse value chains strengthens the resilience of fishers and thus the overall social-ecological system against climate shifts, market fluctuations, and other future uncertainties.
Read the full paper here.
Plain language summary (in English and Spanish)
Citation: Kluger, L. C., Mercer, S., Partelow, S., Roque-Sánchez, M. A., Higaki Moyano, K. O., & Salazar, M. (2025). Connecting sea to market: Using network analysis to understand social–ecological dynamics in seafood value chains in Pisco, Southern Peru. People and Nature, 00, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.70063
