Stakeholder Narratives of Anadromous Fish Conservation | Columbia River

Despite decades of restoration efforts in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) in the United States, recovery of anadromous fish remains elusive. Central to many issues around the species' lack of recovery are conflicts that have arisen between stakeholders about objectives for restoration and conservation of the species in the CRB. Fisheries issues, such as the one in the CRB, are complex, as fish often pass through various jurisdictional boundaries, posing challenges to the design and implementation of conservation and restoration plans. In addition to these challenges, there is not much understood about the social, cultural and political context that influences outcomes in restoration. This project examines this gap by elucidating conservation narratives of members of the Technical Management Team, a CRB management institution. Through narrative analysis, we aim to illuminate an understanding of how humans ascribe value to the environment, how conflicts are defined, and the ways potential solutions are implemented (Von Heland and Clifton 2015).