Fishing community capitals & regulatory ghosts: Planning for sustainability in Eureka, California

Author

Robert J. Dumouchel II, Humboldt State UniversityFollow

Graduation Date

Spring 2019

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Science degree with a major in Natural Resources: option Environmental Science and Management

Committee Chair Name

Laurie Richmond

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Yvonne Everett

Second Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Erin Kelly

Third Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Keywords

Eureka, Fishing communities, Community capitals

Subject Categories

Natural Resources

Abstract

The Port of Eureka, a fishing community set in a rural micropolitan city, is planning for a sustainable future by participating in a proactive strategic planning process. This thesis draws from a mixed-methods approach that included semi-structured interviews; public meetings and workshops; document review and secondary data analysis; and participant observation to evaluate sustainability and regulatory relationships in the port.

This thesis finds that fishing community planning data can be effectively analyzed using the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) which uses a set of interdependent capitals (social, cultural, political, human, financial, built and natural) to assess the sustainability of a community and produce recommendations for future actions. Further, the thesis investigates the regulatory environment of the port and perceptions of the relationships between port stakeholders and regulators. Research shows that port stakeholders view themselves as largely powerless and disconnected from non-local regulatory agencies. These challenges are further explored through the metaphor of a “regulatory ghost.”

Comments

Original degree title: Master of Science degree with a major in Natural Resources, option Environmental & Natural Resource Sciences

Citation Style

APA

Recommended Citation

Dumouchel, Robert J. II, "Fishing community capitals & regulatory ghosts: Planning for sustainability in Eureka, California" (2019). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 249.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/249