New England is a leader in sustainable aquaculture practices and, in comparison with other parts of the United States, has high numbers of woman-operated leases for shellfish cultivation. There is a small, but emerging body of literature focused on gender equity for the region’s aquaculture industry. However, the existing policies have not acknowledged or accommodated the diversity of participants entering the industry. Without demographic information such as gender incorporated into fishery and aquaculture datasets, we lack a comprehensive understanding of resource management, distribution of benefits, and equitable engagement in the industry. We surveyed a subset of oyster farmers in Maine and New Hampshire to allow for a gender analysis of barriers and opportunities to working in the industry for example in funding opportunities, training programs, social networks, and gear. We also implemented a photovoice case study, a participatory action research methodology, with four women oyster farmers to share stories about their experiences as oyster producers and to understand the role of social networks in how women start and build businesses on the water. Investigating aquaculture development through a gender lens can provide insights to inform more socially equitable management and policy decisions for aquaculture expansion.
Our findings provide a baseline of data shedding light on the role of gender in oyster farming in Maine and New Hampshire to foster equal economic opportunities for working on the water and growing local, sustainable seafood. More broadly, our findings contribute to emerging research applying gender and social-ecological systems analyses to understand how gender dynamics impact barriers and opportunities for aquaculture producers in the United States