Mutualism in marine wildlife value orientations on Cape Cod: Conflict and consensus in the sea and on the shore

Wildlife value orientations drive attitudes and behavior related to wildlife species. In the United States, a shift in value orientations toward wildlife from domination to mutualism has been well-documented. Few studies, however, have examined value orientations toward wildlife in the marine environment among multiple stakeholders. A 2021 survey of residents, commercial fishers, and tourists on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA measured marine wildlife value orientations in the context of intense stakeholder conflicts over rebounding populations of seals and white sharks. Respondents in all three stakeholder groups were more oriented toward mutualism than domination, but differed in intensity. Tourists scored highest on mutualism and lowest on domination, followed by residents. Commercial fishers had the highest domination and lowest mutualism scores, but their mutualism values exceeded their domination values. The Potential for Conflict Index2 revealed consensus on mutualism and domination measures was highest among tourists and lowest among commercial fishers, indicating a greater diversity of commercial fisher views. The shared mutualism orientation provides a foundation for coexistence in the face of marine environment challenges.