Bridge over Troubled Waters : Faith-Based Stewardship in Chesapeake Bay

This paper addresses the policy problem of illegal blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) harvesting in Chesapeake Bay by watermen on Tangier Island, Virginia. Illegal harvest occurred in the mid-1990’s after strict regulations were put on the fishery due to concern that the stock may be fully exploited. Residents were fearful of the effect that regulations would have on their economic life. This fear resulted in tension between Tangier residents and several scientific/regulatory groups. Resolution of the issue began to occur in 1997-1998, when some residents adopted a faith-based stewardship program and began to accept the idea that conservation was a necessary part of their lives. The program served as a mechanism to promote conservation of the Bay’s resources and to address the economic issues that threatened Tangier’s unique heritage. The values and social context of participants in this issue are addressed, revealing how the problem developed and how it may be resolved through faith-based stewardship. In addition, an analysis of how lessons learned from this problem can be used to help resolve related conservation problems is given. Conservation problem solving is a multi-faceted and often difficult task. Conflicts over natural resource exploitation are particularly challenging due to the extent and variety of interests and participants typically involved in the situation. In a perfect world, successful conservation problem solving should leave all participants better off than they were at the outset, but rarely does this happen. Occasionally, however, integrated solutions are found that increase the well-being of everyone involved. Examining such issues can shed light on important aspects of the conservation problem-solving process. The following analysis looks at the problem surrounding the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) fishery in Chesapeake Bay that is being resolved with an integrated solution. During the early 1990’s, scientists and conservationists in the Chesapeake Bay watershed began advocating increased regulation of the blue crab fishery because monitoring data showed that harvesting pressure on the stock was ecologically unsustainable (Orner, personal communication). Residents of Tangier Island, Virginia, a small fishing community in the Bay, felt that the economic impact of such regulation posed a serious threat to both their immediate livelihood and their long-term future as watermen. Tension between Tangier residents and those who were advocating for increased blue crab fishery regulations mounted quickly. When strict regulations were put into place in 1994, hostilities were such that Tangier residents at times blatantly disregarded the new regulations. The illegal harvest of blue crabs by Tangier residents is the policy problem that will be addressed in this paper. An analysis of the blue crab fishery conflict on Tangier, especially its broad social context, is presented. Background on Tangier and its heritage is given, as well as descriptions of several academic and conservation organizations that were involved. Participants’ values are discussed, as they are particularly pertinent to the outcome. Related to this, the relevance of faith-based stewardship for Tangier residents is highlighted. An Conservation problem solving is a multi-faceted and often difficult task. Conflicts over natural resource exploitation are particularly challenging due to the extent and variety of interests and participants typically involved in the situation.