Abstract
Natural resource planning is often riddled with uncertainty, especially when new technologies are introduced. While an “adaptive management” approach is attractive in such situations, it is difficult to implement where there is a real or perceived decline of the state. Based on a case study of mariculture development in Hawaii, the authors suggest that planners and policy makers consider informal social contracts as complements to formal regulatory frameworks to increase the viability of adaptive management regimes. Discussion includes the benefits as well as potential pitfalls of social contracts where formal regulations may be necessary.
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