ABSTRACT
What motivates policy compliance? Drawing from regulatory and institutional scholarship, this question is explored in this chapter in the context of aquaculture communities. Findings come from a comparative case study analysis of two American states, involving a systematic coding of regulatory documents and interviews with 30 members of the study states’ aquaculture communities. The findings indicate that feelings of personal guilt or shame and fear of social disapproval, together, are more influential in shaping individuals’ decision making regarding policy compliance than fear of monetary sanctions. The findings further indicate that the expression of compliance motivations is linked to a variety of factors, including the desire to protect the natural environment, to protect human health, and to prevent conflict with neighbors and other resource users.
