The role of cooperativeness in the adoption of sustainable common resource management: A shrimp traps exchange programme in a natural reserve in Brazil

While experimental research has shown that individual cooperation behaviour in social dilemmas often deviates from the predictions of the model of selfish agents, it is less clear how this social behaviour relates to the support and successful enforcement of collective rules and policies in the field. For instance, it has not been examined yet how cooperative behaviour in economic experiments relates to cooperation regarding the management of common resources or to voting behaviour on the adoption of sustainable resource management policies. Our research investigates these relationships in a participatory way.

It will take place in the context of an environmental programme targeting fishermen living in a natural reserve in Brazil. In many of their communities, fishing is the most important income source. However, catch rates have decreased lately due to over-fishing. As a consequence, many fishermen have changed their strategy to catching shrimp. However, the shrimp catch rate has worsened as well in recent years. This is due to the use of traps (garrafas) which capture too many small shrimps.

The programme offers fishermen the opportunity to manufacture new traps (cofos) at a low cost in order to catch shrimp in a more sustainable way. In exchange, the fishermen have to hand over some of their garrafas.

We will observe the behaviour of the participating fishermen in three subsequent steps. They will be asked to (i) participate in economic experiments, (ii) vote on participation/non-participation in the programme, (iii)) cooperate in manufacturing the new traps and handing over their old ones. Additionally, they will be interviewed about their social networks, perceptions and beliefs. This unique sequence of measures involving the same individuals will enable us to understand the role of experimentally-observed cooperative behaviour in adopting a sustainable policy.