Socioeconomic context for fisher-shark interactions in the Marianas

This dataset includes qualitative interview data aggregated and entered into an excel csv file. We collected data primarily during two trips to Guam and the CNMI in September and November of 2019. Initial points of contact were identified through conversations with WPRFMC staff, and Guam and CNMI agencies and fishers with representation at WPRFMC meetings. These conversations aided the development of our interview guide and provided referrals to additional participants (as per the snowball sampling method). More than 100 fishers, managers, and researchers across Guam and the CNMI’s Saipan, Tinian, and Rota were engaged through semi-structured interviews, fisher-organized meetings, and unstructured discussions in the field. We also conducted participant observations at multi-stakeholder meetings in Honolulu, Guam, and Saipan hosted by the WPRFMC and its Advisory Panels (AP) whenever possible. Data from interviews and participant observations were coded to track themes that emerged from the data. The coding scheme closely followed that of human dimensions research on fisher-shark interactions in the West Hawai'i region (Iwane 2019). This resulted in umbrella themes that housed participant commentary on dimensions of the fisher-shark interaction problem and its potential solutions. Other themes included participants’ descriptions of sharks and shark interactions, perceptions of fisheries management and stakeholder engagement, and descriptions of power dynamics and knowledge types in fisheries. Finally, coding captured important contextual information about Marianas’ fishing practices, cultures, economies, and participants’ identities and fishing motives, which cannot be separated from participants’ experiences in the Guam and CNMI communities.