ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the agency of the Baltic Herring in regards to the Rymättylä socio-ecological system (SES), the local ecological knowledge (LEK) possessed by the fishermen in this particular system, and how they are related to adapting to global changes. It discusses the meaning of an SES analysis in the field of adaptation to global changes research and fisheries management research, and examines the importance of adding animal agency as a factor to the system. Rymättylä is a former municipality in Archipelago of southwest Finland, surrounded by the Archipelago Sea, which is part of the Baltic Sea. Adapting to changing global circumstances has become inevitable for many local communities. Since the crisis in marine environments, global warming, and overexploitation of fish stocks are crucial global problems, many actors are trying to develop the most sustainable policy-making solutions for the management of fisheries. Baltic Herring is an extremely important part of the entity that is here being called the Rymättylä SES.
