INT 93-20235 Harris This dissertation enhancement grant provides partial support for a U.S. graduate student, Douglas C. Wilson, working under the guidance of Prof. Craig Harris, of the Department of Sociology at Michigan State University, to study the fisheries management situation on the Tanzanian shore of Lake Victoria. The research will look at how several existing or proposed management regulations are perceived by those in the industry, in terms of their particular economic interests and the interest of preserving the resource. The study will use a multi-site, multi- method approach to understanding the perceptions of fisheries management of small-scale fishers, processors, and traders on eight fishing beaches, and their large-scale counterparts in the three major lakeside towns. Methods to be used include formal surveys, in-depth interviews, focus groups, and a q-methodology survey to identify how perceptions vary according to location, species pursued, technology used, demographic characteristics, and the class of the various actors. The research will be done in cooperation with, and assisted by personnel from, the Tanzanian Fisheries Research Institute. The characterization of the constituencies in the Lake Victoria fishery that emerges from this research will be given to the Tanzanian fisheries authorities to facilitate the design and implementation of future management programs. This study will make an important contribution to the social science understanding of a major biological change in one of the world's great aquatic ecosystems. The research could provide useful real-world data to illuminate the issue of what influences behavior toward either the "free rider" or the "respecter of the commons" mode. The grant will launch a young scientist on a comparative research program to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of this multi-site, multi-method approach to understanding common pool resources. ***
