Aspects of Fishery Management, Job Satisfaction, and Well-Being among Commercial Fishermen in the Northeast Region of the United States

Abstract

The complexity and rapid changes in fishery management approaches have forced fishermen to adopt strategies that may not be congruent with the original appeal of fishing as an occupation. Changes in fish populations and resulting efforts to manage stocks can impact job characteristics that influence job satisfaction (social–psychological needs, basic needs, and self-actualization) and potentially well-being. This hypothesis is addressed through examination of job satisfaction and well-being among 478 fishermen in three subregions of the northeastern United States. The results demonstrate that differences between the mix of regional fisheries and attitudes toward regulations affect two components of job satisfaction and well-being but not self-actualization. Management's attempts to reduce fishing effort therefore need to account for the persistence of self-actualization by either developing appropriate alternative occupations or preparing for the consequences of lower job satisfaction on the well-being of fishermen forced to leave the occupation.