From centralized control to participatory co-management: how institutional pluralism shapes stakeholders’ perceptions of the governance transition

Abstract

Governance frameworks for small-scale coastal fisheries have historically relied on centralized, top-down management, limiting local stakeholder participation. This study analyzed the perceptions of 72 stakeholders involved in the artisanal hake fishery (Merluccius gayi peruanus) in northern Peru regarding the implementation of an Integrated Model of Participatory Governance for Small-Scale Fisheries (IMPG-SSF). To this end, Q methodology was applied using a forced distribution of 30 statements and factor analysis with Varimax rotation, complemented by a bootstrap procedure to assess the stability of the factor solution. The results enabled the identification of three differentiated narratives. The first interpreted co-management as an opportunity to strengthen socioecological sustainability, participation, and coordination among actors. The second expressed a favorable stance, although conditioned by the need for technical capacities, operational clarity, and institutional support. The third reflected a more critical view, associated with concerns about conflict, institutional weakness, and possible difficulties in implementing the model in complex local contexts. The factor solution exhibited high levels of reliability and stability under resampling. The integration of the findings showed that the transition toward participatory governance schemes depends not only on the recognition of local knowledge, but also on institutional strengthening, coordination among actors, and the gradual building of trust, leading to the conclusion that the implementation of the IMPG-SSF requires strategies adapted to the territorial and social dynamics of the artisanal fishery.