Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Smith, Nevin
Author's Email Address	naysmith@earthlink.net
URN	etd-11012006-230129
Title	The Case of the Commercial Fisheries Constitutional Net Ban Amendment in Florida: An Illustration of the Impact of Special Interest Associations on Institutional Change
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Public Administration and Policy, School of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Ralph S. Brower Committee Chair Jeffrey Brooks Committee Member Lance deHaven-Smith Committee Member Richard Chackerian Committee Member
Keywords	third-order change fisheries policy regulation special interest association constitutional change institutional change institutions
Date of Defense	2006-10-06
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract The research question is how does institutional change take place? The question is answered in part by the case of the impact of special interest associations on the net ban in Florida. The constitutional ban on the use of most types of nets, including all gill nets by commercial fishers in near-shore Florida waters grew out of a conflict between commercial and recreational fishing interests. Once voted into the state constitution by the citizenry, the amendment banning the use of certain nets became the latest in a series of government regulations focused on limiting saltwater fishing activities in state waters. State regulatory activities related to saltwater fishing began in the 1800’s and, over time, a large number of organizations and individuals have focused their activity on the public policies surrounding saltwater fishing. Participant activities in this issue based organizational field which begin in the 1940;s are a useful way to seek insight into how institutional change occurs. This case study about the emergence of the constitutional plebiscite commonly known as the “Florida Net Ban” has been completed to provide the opportunity to increase our understanding of institutional change. The case was developed from three primary independent views provided by professional private sector public policy participants set against a general background drawn from rural fishing informants. Two views were developed from different elements of the commercial fishing industry and the associations that represent them. The third view was provided by organized recreational fishing interests. Institutional persistence in each of the three institutional pillars described by Scott; isomorphic institutional transfer as described by North; and the coevolution of institutions and organizational fields as described by Hoffman are employed in the analysis of the case to build theory about institutional change. The case provides additional insight into institutional change related to organizational fields and the importance of public entrepreneurial activity that is associated with such change. The case provides insight into the importance of making strategic and tactical choices in response to changing institutional environments to ensure maximum long range favorable policy outcomes. The case also provides perspective on how each of the three institutional pillars, provided by Scott, under go independent change.
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