Investigating the Dynamics of Trust Surrounding Marine Resource Management in Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu

Abstract

In January of 2019, the Systems Analysis of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM 601) graduate course, under Dr. Kirsten Oleson, was approached by Mālama Maunalua (MM) to perform various projects in order to build capacity for the non-profit stewardship organization. Our group pursued research on the dynamics of trust surrounding marine resource management in Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu. Research has consistently shown trust to be an essential component for effective natural resource management and conflict resolution. Understanding the nature of trust within and between different entities in the Bay and considering mechanisms for improving that trust can help improve the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of marine resource management regimes in the region. This project aimed to understand the trust gaps, trust types, and leverage points for trust construction in the bay through the employment of interviews and a document review. We utilized the trust framework set forth by Dr.’s Marc J. Stern and Kimberley J. Coleman’s paper titled, “The Multidimensionality of Trust: Applications in Collaborative Natural resource Management”1. Our research was framed through the following questions, 1) What is the state of trust between stakeholder groups of Maunalua Bay, is there a trust gap present? 2) What is the state of trust based on the trust framework? Our third question brought together literature and our interviews in order to answer 3) what are possible leverage points to enhance trust between stakeholders? After compiling our interview transcriptions, we uncovered 25 accounts of trust and 150 accounts of distrust occurring between various groups in the bay, suggesting that the levels of trust in the marine management system is low. Procedural trust was our most common form of both trust and distrust observed from our interviews. Procedural trust is the trust in procedures or other systems that decrease the vulnerability of the potential trustor, enabling action in the absence of other forms of trust. Our findings suggest that trust in the area can be improved by designing marine resource management processes that are inclusive and transparent by stakeholders, managers, and environmental groups working to improve communication with one another and working to build a series of positive interactions.