Why do fishers fish?

To effectively manage fisheries worldwide, we first need to understand exactly why people fish. And the reasons are many.

In Australia, 96% of recreational fishers cited a connection to the environment as their reason for fishing. Other personal reasons included:Using interviews, researchers from  and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Matthew Young, Simon Foale and David Bellwood explored the motivations of two fisher groups: subsistence/artisanal fishers in the Solomon Islands, and experienced recreational fishers in Australia.

In the Solomon Islands, the most common motivations for fishing were food (100%) and income (93%). However, many fishers said they would continue fishing even if they had alternative income, and many of their motivations overlapped with recreational fishers.

* physical fitness and exercise
* benefits to mental health through escapism
* stress release and relaxation
* the health properties of seafood
* social interactions and bonding with friends and family
* the ability to be outdoors and satisfy their hunter-gatherer instinct

“Fishing provides social benefits to the community through camaraderie, fishing clubs and the sharing of a common interest,” said one Australian fisher. “It also contributes to social cohesion as it crosses social boundaries and encourages unification.”

Article:
Young MAL, Foale S, and Bellwood DR (2016) Why do fishers fish? A cross-cultural examination of the motivations for fishing. Marine Policy, 66: 114‒123 (April 2016).

Image:
Michael Dawes/Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/9VEAgv