UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

The social–ecological fabric of freshwater fish management: Accounting for feedback loops in human–fish interactions

Identification

Public canonical key

doi:10.1002/ecs2.70249

Authors

Robin J.P. Holmes · Kiely McFarlane · Edward Challies · Calum MacNeil · Jason Arnold

Reported year

2025

Reported language

en

Source type

article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.804997+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:04:47.804997+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Institutions reported by the source

Cawthron Institute · University of Canterbury

Reported affiliation countries

NZ

Documentary abstract — original language

Abstract A holistic view of nature, which situates human relationships and actions within ecosystems, can broaden our understanding of environmental problems and expand the scope and efficacy of potential solutions. Social–ecological systems (SES) research attempts to take this broad perspective. However, a core challenge for the field is accounting for the complex nature of SES, which can develop self‐reinforcing feedback loops and unpredictable emergent properties. Here, in the context of freshwater ecosystems, we consider key conceptual frameworks that have emerged over recent decades to make sense of SES dynamics. We review selected international examples of freshwater SES before outlining three examples from the island nation of Aotearoa New Zealand. We focus on fish as key ecological components of freshwater SES because of their status as a focal point for cultural and social relationships with rivers and lakes worldwide. Within our SES examples, we highlight positive and negative feedback dynamics that either reinforce desired social–ecological states or create “social–ecological traps” that set freshwater systems on stubborn trajectories of degradation. Four SES features were common within our examples of feedback loops leading to social–ecological traps: (1) poor information flow between resource users and managers, (2) the exclusion of Indigenous people and local communities from resource governance, (3) altered hydrological regimes, and (4) introduced species. We suggest that identifying and addressing feedback loops with SES is a valuable focus for environmental management and should occur alongside efforts to promote deeper societal changes toward sustainability. Our conceptual review highlights the mechanics of freshwater SES feedback loops in the hope that further work in this field will widen the scope of sustainability‐focused actions in systems where freshwater fish play a key role.

Identifiers

OPENALEX

W4409875695

DOI

10.1002/ecs2.70249

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

article

Natural entities mentioned

River · Lake · Ecosystem · Species

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAlex · Record 1 · Record 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70249
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W4409875695

Documented bibliographic relations

Source-declared references and links; they do not establish legal support or UGLC qualification. Up to 20 outgoing references are displayed.

• openalex:w1529645515 · CITES
• openalex:w153650167 · CITES
• openalex:w1557200796 · CITES
• openalex:w1680703896 · CITES
• openalex:w1953354663 · CITES
• openalex:w1973539614 · CITES
• openalex:w1990879163 · CITES
• openalex:w1996275266 · CITES
• openalex:w1998199587 · CITES
• openalex:w2006171465 · CITES
• openalex:w2010365184 · CITES
• openalex:w2017041754 · CITES
• openalex:w2028571021 · CITES
• openalex:w2034994370 · CITES
• openalex:w2036181044 · CITES
• openalex:w2044611540 · CITES
• openalex:w2049813215 · CITES
• openalex:w2055464537 · CITES
• openalex:w2071962320 · CITES
• openalex:w2083238146 · CITES

0 incoming references within the detected corpus

Documentary status

Relevance pending

Library

This identity is not yet included in the Legal Library.