Stakeholder diversity correlates with governance network performance in two artisanal fisheries in Northwest Mexico

The sustainability of fisheries depends not only on the condition of the fish stock but also on the complex interrelationships of stakeholders. In this study, we employed network analysis to study the social structure of governance in two fisheries in Northwest Mexico. We selected two artisanal fisheries that are well-known to serve as examples of successful and less effective governance: the red spiny lobster fishery (RLF) and the swimming crab fishery (SCF), respectively. We built two networks that represent the relationships between stakeholders in each fishery. We found that stakeholders with higher levels of centrality are more diverse in the RLF compared with the SCF. We also found that the RLF has characteristics of a more collaborative network with subgroups with a high diversity of stakeholders, which is in contrast with the SCF. Additionally, given the similarity of stakeholders' roles in the RLF, more stakeholders are able to play roles currently played by other stakeholders, which is in contrast to the SCF, where the roles are more divided. These results helped to elucidate the structure of governance networks and the stakeholder's roles, highlighting that the different levels of governance efficiency are related to stakeholder diversity.