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Short Abstract

We examine a knowledge co-production process addressing contested cormorant distribution and movement data. A transdisciplinary approach integrated local and scientific knowledge, exploring how different actors ascribe meaning to this type of knowledge and its outcomes in a conflict-laden context.

Abstract

Integrating practice- and place-based knowledge of local actors into scientific processes has been approached in multiple ways. In many of these approaches, the lack of collaborative elements hinders the credibility, relevance and legitimacy of the process. Furthermore, in approaches that emphasise collaboration, relatively little attention has been paid to the role of knowledge co-production in conflict-ridden contexts. In this study, we address one of the most persistent conservation conflicts in Europe: the cormorant–fisheries conflict. This conflict is characterised by factual disputes and contested claims about the species’ impacts on fisheries, which have hindered efforts to develop collaborative, partnership-based cormorant management. This study examines a knowledge co-production process involving researchers and local actors to address one contested question, namely the distribution, abundance, and movements outside the breeding season. This question was identified as a key knowledge gap during a previous Joint Fact-Finding (JFF) process. Building on that process, stakeholder participants and researchers jointly planned a follow-up project. The data collection was both designed and implemented in a transdisciplinary manner, aiming to systematically gather practice and place-based knowledge. Key stakeholders were interviewed before and after the process to explore their perceptions of the planning, implementation, and outcomes of the joint data collection process. Particular attention was paid to how different actors ascribe meaning to this type of knowledge, its interpretations, applications, and conclusions drawn from it, and, ultimately, how the stakeholders perceive the importance and influence of place-based knowledge on the interactions between actors in a conflict-laden context.