Support for resource management: The role of information sources and affinitive trust

Public trust in natural resources agencies is critical for successful resource management and can facilitate an environment of management innovation and experimentation. However, building public trust in natural resources management is often challenging, particularly in resource management systems where people may receive information from a variety of different sources. We used a mail survey to analyze the relationship between affinitive trust (a measure of perceived shared values), information source use, and overall support for management in marine fisheries in the United States. The results of our mixed linear model showed that higher levels of affinitive trust and more use of official sources were most strongly associated with higher levels of support for management. The use of website sources (e.g., fishing websites and blogs), third-party sources (e.g., fishing organizations, advocacy groups, tv, and bait or tackle shops), older age, and higher levels of income were most associated with lower levels of support. The results imply that engendering higher levels of affinitive trust by promoting institutional values may lead to higher support for management.