ABSTRACT
Socio-political institutions, such as rules of fi shing created through the relationship between central governments and local level resource users, called co-management, have been created to manage fresh water fi sheries in developing countries. Despite the creation of co-management institutions, many factors inhibit these institutions from being effective (Pomeroy and Berkes 1997; Kaimowitz and Ribot 2002; Jul-Larsen 2003). Of the factors that are researched, legitimacy and accountability are cited as being critical aspects of a successful fi shery management institution. Legitimacy and accountability include state accountability to the local level (Ribot 2002a); legitimacy of local-level crafted rules by higher-level government (Ostrom 1999); legitimacy of the whole institution as viewed by all stakeholders; and legitimacy of the rules by the users. Understanding legitimacy, however, is
weakest when determining the legitimacy of local level organizations (the lowest political enforcement entity) by the resource users. In the course of study on institutions, legitimacy of local level organizations within the larger fi shery co-management program does not receive the attention necessary to develop a suitable explanation of why these institutions fail.
