Work

Highlighting the structural complexity of Europe’s leading seafood processing hub: Building a social-ecological network with actor-network theory

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The seafood sector faces multiple challenges that threaten its contribution to food security. For developing effective governance strategies in response to those transformations, this study proposes a theoretical framework grounded in Actor-Network Theory (ANT), applied to the construction of a Social-Ecological Network (SEN), to better understand the structural complexity of the seafood sector SES in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Europe's leading seafood processing hub. Through semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and participatory workshops, we identified 227 nodes and 595 links across environmental, economic, productive, and social categories framing the seafood sector. The descriptive analysis of the network reveals that operational production entities constitute the network's core, shaping how environmental resources, economic support, and social regulations are organized. By making visible the diversity of components, their multi-layer interactions, and interdependencies within this system, our approach provides decision-makers with evidence-based insights for developing strategies that align with the seafood sector's systemic reality and sustainability challenges.

Source: AMBIO

DOI: 10.1007/s13280-026-02485-w

Authors: Etienne Quillet, Rhoda Fofack-Garcia, Laureline Poisson, Frida Ben Rais Lasram

Institutions: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Lille, Laboratoire d’Océanologie et de Géosciences, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, France Énergies Marines

Language: English

Topic: Coastal and Marine Management

Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life below water

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,490