Behavior Of Fishers Research Articles

Analysis of Health Ailments and Associated Risk Factors in Small-Scale Fisherfolk Community of Indian Sundarbans: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Small-scale fishers of Indian Sundarbans depend on open-water fisheries for their livelihoods. They often face health, occupational, and safety issues in their profession due to environmental, socio-economic, and policy changes. The morbidity pattern and related risk factors are important indicators of well-being for any community, hence applicable to small-scale fishers of Sundarbans. The present study was designed to assess patterns of morbidities, associated risk factors including occupational health hazards, and treatment-seeking behavior of small-scale fishers in the Indian Sundarbans. Household surveys, focused group discussions, and personal interviews were conducted through a predesigned pretested structured questionnaire. Associated risk factors and the nature of seeking treatment were considered during the data collection covering 650 individuals from 132 fishers' families. Morbidities were more frequent in males (39.33%) than in females (28.5%). The fever (31%) was the most dominant reason for morbidities followed by ocular ailments (23%), musculoskeletal disorder (20%), dermatological ailments (17%), and respiratory illness (9%). The highest morbidities (25%) were recorded in the age group of 21-30 years in males while that was 20% in the 11-20 years age group in the case of the females. Physical labor for fishing activities predisposes to health ailments of the studied population. The prevalence of morbidity among the fishermen community was found to be 28.5%. The understanding of the morbidity profile of a population in general and specific age groups of both sexes in specific sheds light on the vulnerability of working groups that will help for effective healthcare planning and resource allocation.

Assessing diversification behavior of small-scale commercial fishers

Abstract Diversification within and outside of small-scale fisheries (SSF) is a common strategy to stabilize revenues and increase resilience following disturbances. Using SSF in Virginia, USA as a case study, Herfindahl–Hirschman Indices (HHIs) were used to characterize individual and fleet levels of income diversification, while generalized linear mixed models were used to examine drivers of diversification behavior. HHI income values indicate that fishers tended to exhibit specialized behavior. More diversified fishers tended to have less interannual revenue variability and higher annual incomes. Decisions to increase or decrease diversification were associated with various factors, including total years of participation, annual income, the type of licenses held, landings levels, participation in marine-related business outside of SSF, and market prices. An understanding of diversification levels and associated drivers of behavior can help fishery managers and governing entities predict how fishers will react to perturbations. Environmental changes that alter species distributions and increase the potential for invasive species, as well as shifting sociodemographics within the fishing industry, will likely continue to influence diversification behavior in the future. Developing strategies to reduce the impact of these events on fishers and fishing communities will help to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability in SSF.

The Role of Catch Portfolios in Characterizing Species' Economic Linkages and Fishers' Responses to Climate Change Impacts

The collective harvest behavior of fishers, as revealed by their catch portfolios, gives rise to an economic linkage among targeted species. Mapping the economic connectivity among species helps identify species that may play a role in fishers’ adaptive capacity to climate change impacts. In this study, we used survey data and network analysis to map the connectivity among species harvested by small-scale Galician fishers holding the same set of fishing permits. We characterized species by describing their roles in the system of connected species via four network centrality measures: degree, closeness, betweenness, and eigenvector. We used connectivity metrics in a discrete choice framework to evaluate the relation between species roles and fishers' species choices under a hypothetical climate change impact. In particular, we asked the following question: Which species are likely to be added to a catch portfolio in response to a climate-driven negative impact on fishing returns? Galician fishers responded to hypothetical scenarios by adding species not central to the network and species that are likely to be located within clusters in the network and by diversifying their portfolios of permits. Our work suggests that species connectivity due to fishers' behavior deserves serious consideration for practitioners who seek to improve institutional arrangements that promote the resilience of small-scale fisheries.

Technoscience and the modernization of freshwater fisheries assessment and management

Inland fisheries assessment and management are challenging given the inherent complexity of working in diverse habitats (e.g., rivers, lakes, wetlands) that are dynamic on organisms that are often cryptic and where fishers are often highly mobile. Yet, technoscience is offering new tools that have the potential to reimagine how inland fisheries are assessed and managed. So-called “technoscience” refers to instances in which science and technology unfurl together, offering novel ways of spurring and achieving meaningful change. This paper considers the role of technoscience and its potential for modernizing the assessment and management of inland fisheries. It first explores technoscience and its potential benefits, followed by presentation of a series of synopses that explore the application (both successes and challenges) of new technologies such as environmental DNA (eDNA), genomics, electronic tags, drones, phone apps, iEcology, and artificial intelligence to assessment and management. The paper also considers the challenges and barriers that exist in adopting new technologies. The paper concludes with a provocative assessment of the potential of technoscience to reform and modernize inland fisheries assessment and management. Although these tools are increasingly being embraced, there is a lack of platforms for aggregating these data streams and providing managers with actionable information in a timely manner. The ideas presented here should serve as a catalyst for beginning to work collectively and collaboratively towards fisheries assessment and management systems that harness the power of technology and serve to modernize inland fisheries management. Such transformation is urgently needed given the dynamic nature of environmental change, the evolving threat matrix facing inland waters, and the complex behavior of fishers. Quite simply, a dynamic world demands dynamic fisheries management; technoscience has made that within reach. • Assessing and managing freshwater fisheries is challenging. • Technoscience offers opportunities to reimagine fisheries assessment and management. • Methods to aggregate real-time data streams are needed to yield actionable knowledge. • Challenges and barriers exist in adoption of new technologies but they can be overcome. • Dynamic fisheries demand more dynamic real-time assessment & management.

Transformation in times of climate change: what makes a fisher diversify livelihoods?

Despite the importance of livelihood diversification as a transformation strategy in small-scale fisheries facing climate change, empirical evidence on this complex phenomenon is scarce. This work aims to shed light on factors that help to explain the transformative behavior of small-scale fishers when faced with climate change impacts. Using primary survey data from 404 small-scale fishers across 9 communities in Galicia, NW Spain, we examined how different aspects of fishers’ adaptive capacities relate to their stated decisions to engage in livelihood diversification when faced with hypothetical climate change scenarios. The results of our multinomial multilevel mixed-effect logit model show that flexibility (current income diversification level and diversity of target fishery resources) has a strong, positive relationship with livelihood diversification responses. In contrast, learning, social organization, and competing concerns played a complex role. Specifically, we found that social-ecological system knowledge, communication with different fishing groups (bridging communication), trust in institutional actors, and gender (female) were positively related to livelihood diversification when faced with climate impacts. Fishing experience, communication within fishing groups (bonding communication), and trust in other fishing groups (bridging trust) were negatively related to diversification. Our results provide new empirical evidence on the factors associated with fisher’s decisions to engage in livelihood diversification when faced with climate impacts on fishery resources, lending critical insight for climate adaptation programs and policies.

The effects of social information and luck on risk behavior of small-scale fishers at Lake Victoria

We use a lab-in-the-field experiment to examine how personal experience of good or bad luck and information about the behavior of others influence the risk taking behavior of small-scale fishers in Tanzania. These fishers make many risky decisions in their daily lives, and a better understanding of the factors influencing risky decisions is important from both a policy and scientific perspective. Our results show a slight tendency for fishers to take more risk in a lottery if they have been unlucky in another game shortly before. Risk taking is enhanced by social information when fishers learn that others have taken more risk. This is true although risks are independent and the fishers do not know whether the risk taking of others has ultimately paid off.

The role of the Spanish Mediterranean Fisher's Guilds in Maritime Sustainability

The fisheries sector is making significant changes by specifically addressing coastal management and tackling the socio-environmental crisis it is currently facing. Notably, a fundamental change in the attitude and behavior of fishers and their institutions is observed, where sustainability of the environment and marine resources is becoming a priority issue.Focusing on the Fisher's Guilds of the Spanish Mediterranean, this work analyses the scope of these changes in the management of natural resources through their concrete actions, the factors that enhance or limit such actions, as well as any lingering resistance. For this, we have combined quantitative techniques, through a closed questionnaire, and qualitative techniques, through semi-structured interviews.We can confirm that the guilds play a growing and active role in the environmental management of their territory of influence. However, it is necessary to equip them with greater human and material resources, to support a strong, determined leadership committed to the environment and, above all, to build a framework of joint collaboration in decision-making that goes beyond mere appearances.

Influence of human capital on the trial and error learning process in a common pool resource (CPR) game

This paper presents a study regarding the behavior of Pacific-Colombian fishers in a Common Pool Resource game. Results show that decision-making depends on human capital accumulation and the learning process. Specifically, through trial and error, those players with more human capital adjust their decisions on the basis of a cooperative-collusive solution by following the feedback of their own most successful strategies in past rounds. Notably, fishers with the higher levels of formal schooling tend to harvest less because they have a better understanding of dilemma-type games and the higher benefits involved when they cooperate.

The Effect of the Patron-Client Bond, on the Behavior of Fishers, on the Marketing of Soma Pajeko's Catch, in Bulawan Village, Kotabunan District, East Mongondow Bolaang Regency, Indonesia

The aims of this study are to: (1) find out the problems that occur in the trade system of fishermen's catches; and (2) analyzing the influence of the Patron-Client Bond on the Behavior of Fishermen on Marketing of Soma Pajeko's Catch in Bulawan Village, Kotabunan District, BolaangMongondowTimur Regency. This research is expected to provide additional information and knowledge regarding critical patron-client issues that often occur to fishermen. This causes an imbalance in the trade system of fishery products, as well as in the exchange of services/services obtained, where the client gets less profit than the patron due to the weak position of the client. The limitations of fishermen in terms of capital and skills are caused by various obstacles, including the lack of knowledge, so that their interest in developing themselves is hindered by the inability to think innovatively. This research was conducted in Bulawan village, Kotabunan sub-district using a survey method. Determination of respondents in this study was conducted using purposive sampling on fishermen Soma Pajeko. According to Walpole (1997) for research using statistical methods the minimum number of respondents is 20 people so that 30% of the existing population is determined. The data collected includes primary data and secondary data, where primary data is obtained through observation, direct interviews by filling out structured questionnaires. The quantitative data analysis technique uses descriptive data analysis techniques, while the qualitative data analysis techniques use the Miles and Hubermas concept The results of the research and discussion, where the strong position of the owner of the soma pajeko in the mechanism of buying and selling transactions, shows an illustration that the marketing trade chain in Bulawan village is still constructed locally. The relationship with production, especially the activities of the owner's work group, positioned himself as a patron while the crew members as clients. This is the case with marketing, the owner still positions himself as a patron and the crew as a client. Two strengths from two different sides.where fishermen must obtain production factors at high prices, while the selling price of the catch is determined at low prices. This trend continues where the exchange rate of fishermen is getting smaller, which means that the process of impoverishment is natural for fishermen, so that even though they have carried out commercial activities, the results obtained are still subsistence. It is this context that perpetuates the patron-client relationship between fishermen and owners.

Geographic and occupational mobility of small-scale fishers of Lake Malawi: an exploratory study of water, sanitation, and hygiene access, Malawi

Abstract The livelihood of small-scale fishers on the world's freshwater lakes cuts across the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which covers water and sanitation, and SDG 8 on economic growth. The aim of this study was to examine the nature and extent of fishers' mobility patterns and access to improved sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, and handwashing practices while at work and home for two fishing camps in Malawi. The study used key informant interviews, questionnaires, water quality testing, and an observational checklist, followed by interviews on fishers' occupational migration. Many fishers (85%; 51/60) live and work in fishing camps with their families. Most fishers only went on day trips, but 8% of their working days were away from the fishing camps. Only eight fishers had safe (0 cfu/100 ml) drinking water at home. Most fishers reported drinking (97%) from and going to the toilet (92%) in the lake during fishing. Historical trends in cholera cases did not correlate with higher periods of migratory behavior of fishers observed in this study. Improving the livelihoods of small-scale fishers requires attention to their culture, the economics of the industry, and geographic criteria while at work and within fishing communities along the shores of Lake Malawi.

Scale-dependency in discrete choice models: A fishery application

Modeling the spatial behavior of fishers is critical in assessing fishery management policies and has been dominated by discrete choice models (DCM). Motivated by the widespread availability of micro-data on fishing vessel locations, this paper examines the complexity associated with the choice of the spatial scale in a DCM of fishing locations. Our empirical approach estimates the standard DCM at varying spatial resolutions using both simulated data and vessel monitoring system data from the Gulf of Mexico longline fishery. We assess model performance using goodness-of-fit, predictive capacity, parameter estimates, and the assessment of the fishery response to a hypothetical marine protected area. Results show that, even when the specification of the decision-making process is correct, models can be structurally biased because of the aggregation of spatial scale that neglects the value of many fishing locations. The extent of such biases can only be detected by considering various spatial aggregation levels.

Effects of assets and weather on small-scale coastal fishers’ access to space, catches and profits

Fishers’ spatial behavior affects their incomes, livelihoods and ecological sustainability and is affected by establishment of protected areas, and the impacts of changing climate and weather patterns. An understanding of fishers’ spatial behavior is essential for evaluating catch trends or estimating per-area yeilds. Location choice by fishers has largely been understood through foraging models and empirical studies in large scale, developed country fisheries. This paper uses participatory mapping, logbooks and remotely sensed weather (wind speed) data to explore the influence of weather and capital on the spatial behavior and success of coastal Kenyan small-scale fishers. We test generalized foraging models of fisher behavior. A reef crest separates available fishing grounds in the study area between two distinct areas of dissimilar fish catches. Over half of the fishing trips accessed grounds outside the reef, particularly in the calmer northeast monsoon season. Trips across the reef were more successful both in terms of catch and value per fisher and price per kg. Access across the reef was determined primarily by season but was also affected by métier and daily wind speeds. Amongst a sample of non-motorised trips, crossing the reef was the most important variable for predicting Value Per Unit Effort (VPUE). Other things equal, more productive grounds ought to attract more effort, but access to the fishing grounds beyond the reef is constrained by fishers’ access to capital, fluctuations in weather and the interaction between these variables. Fishers with low levels of capital are more affected by daily weather that limits access to the more profitable fishing grounds. Fishers with more capital are able to access more productive grounds more freely, but at the expense of extra compensation for the capital needed. Thus while gross returns to offshore trips exceed similar returns for nearshore trips, net returns are likely to be more equal. In our study a stark exception to the pattern of higher returns from more capitalised gear is the relatively high VPUE achieved by spear fishers, making the assumption of free movement of labour between gears not valid. The study also adds a temporal complexity to this picture by showing the likelihood of accessing grounds beyond the reef crest varies temporally by season.

Conserving Brazilian Sardine: Fisher’s attitudes and knowledge in the Marine Extractive Reserve of Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Due to the socioeconomic importance of sardines in the South Atlantic, the aim of this study was to evaluate the fishers’ LEK and the attitudes towards conservation of S. brasiliensis in the fishing village of the Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 134 semi-structured interviews were conducted from April to July 2016. The LEK was classified as moderate (0.56) as well as the conservation attitudes (0.60). It was shown that there was a correlation between LEK and income of fishers. There were differences in LEK and attitudes regarding conservation of sardines in all educational groups analyzed in the sampling population. The LEK and the attitudes also show significant association with boat ownership, occupation and if the fisherman belonged to the local fishing association. As a way to improve fishers’ attitudes in practice, we also encouraged the promotion of education among youth and adults is recommended so that the behavior of fishers becomes more favorable to the conservation of sardines in this fishing community. We also emphasize that local management must take into account the sociodemographic variables of fishers since these can influence LEK and their predisposition to conserve sardines. This approach would increase the likelihood of ensuring the efficient support of the local community in the conservation of this small pelagic fish.

Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs): State of the art and the road ahead

Emerging as an innovation for improving the management of overexploited fisheries around the world, rights-based fisheries management systems are being implemented in the form of either species- or area-based management. While there are numerous reviews on species-based management, there have been none on area-based management. To fill this gap, we undertake a critical review of the literature on area-based management systems known as “Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries” (or TURFs). Following an exhaustive search, seventy-nine peer-reviewed journal papers discussing the evolution, effectiveness, enforcement, and management context of TURFs were identified and selected. Review of these papers reveals that there is a growing interest in investigating the real-world effects of TURFs, both positive and negative. The variability in TURF performance appears to be due to design features, enforcement behavior of fishers, and specific contextual conditions, namely, biological fishery characteristics, socio-economic aspects of fishers, and institutional arrangements. The bulk of the published research has focused on theoretical analysis and empirical evidence based on fishers’ perception and experience. And there has been little research on enforcement issues or how design features and management contexts influence performance. This review emphasizes the need for rigorous empirical analyses of TURF effects, including assessment of the cost-effectiveness of different enforcement schemes and the effects of contextual conditions on TURF performance. Addressing current shortcomings in the literature could improve the design, implementation and performance of TURFs worldwide.

Economic behavior of fishers under climate-related uncertainty: Results from field experiments in Mexico and Colombia

This paper presents the results of economic experiments run among fishermen from the Mexican and Colombian Pacific. The experimental design aims at studying behavior under uncertainty concerning the possible effects of climate change on fisheries. We find that subjects’ risk-aversion diminishes the level of catches and changes fishing practices (e.g. adopting marine reserves), provided that fishermen have ex ante information on possible climatic consequences. Furthermore, social preferences (e.g. for cooperation and reciprocity) also play an important role regarding extraction from common-pool resources. Other factors, such as income, gender and religion are also found to have some influence. These results have important implications for adaptation actions and the management of coastal fisheries.

Modeling the Decision-Making Behavior of Fishers in the Reef Fish Fishery on the West Coast of Florida

ABSTRACTWhen, where, and how a commercial vessel fishes determines the temporal and spatial placement of the data they are legally bound to supply to management agencies. Data provided by commercial fishing vessels are used in assessments to infer fish population abundance. Fisher decision-making may also allow fishers to dissipate the benefits of regulations and affect expected management outcomes. Decisions about participation, site choice, and trip termination were modeled for commercial fishers in the Gulf of Mexico. Vessel logbook data were used to parameterize discrete choice models for each decision. A questionnaire of vessel captains (N = 40) helped inform model structure. Results suggested that participation and site choice decisions may be nested, and are affected by expected revenue, regulations, fish price, wind speed, vessel characteristics, and fuel price. Trip termination was influenced by regulations, wind speed, and catch relative to fish hold capacity. Assessment and management implications are discussed.

The Behavior of Fishers After Implementation of the Project to Exterminate Nonindigenous Fish in Lake Biwa, Japan

The project to exterminate nonindigenous fish was initiated in Lake Biwa in April 2002 because nonindigenous fish, especially large-mouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), had adversely affected the diversity of indigenous fish. This project allowed fishers to catch nonindigenous fish whenever, wherever, and however they wished and to sell their entire daily landing to the Shiga Prefectural Government (SPG) on a fixed-price basis. That is, the SPG regarded nonindigenous fish as an "open-access resource." This project defined success as the extermination of nonindigenous fish. This study focused on how the fishers behaved after the project began and attempted to identify the factors influencing their behavior. I observed that the ranks of fishers increased because of the policies pertaining to nonindigenous fish. At one level, this result supports the model of "the tragedy of open-access resources." However, this study also found that the behavior of fishers did not always result in "tragedy." In Okishima, fishers' behavior is strongly influenced by merchants. More specifically, fishers must abide by their contracts with merchants, and these effectively prevent them from catching nonindigenous fish even when these appear to bring greater profits. This local mechanism served to limit excessive levels of fishing and impeded "the tragedy of open-access resources." Consequently, the results of this project did not meet the expectations of the SPG.

Ecological and economic sustainability in fishery management: A multi-agent model for understanding competition and cooperation

Recent studies have shown that many marine ecosystems are experiencing an accelerating loss of population and biodiversity. It is apparent that there is a growing disparity between the available supply of fish and the desire of the growing world population to catch them. Although studies have begun to question the ecological sustainability of managed fishery systems, they often omit the corresponding effects on the economic sustainability of fishery industries. This is particularly important in rural coastal areas where the fishing industry is often a dominant employer. In this article, we analyze the interactions between economic and ecological dynamic systems using a multi-agent dynamic model of fishery management. Multiple agents (fishers) harvest multiple fish species and adapt the amount and allocation of their effort to their value functions, which are given as net profits of the fish harvest sold for a market price. This is largely unique in fishery models, since many econometric studies view fishers as represented by homogenous ‘average’ agents. We introduce and compare two different decision rules governing the behavior of fishers engaged in a competitive market. We demonstrate a situation where both behaviors lead to a decline of all fish stocks, as well as profits for most fishers. As an alternative, we introduce a cooperative approach in which fisheries jointly set sustainable limits for total harvest and effort that are then distributed to the fishers according to distribution rules. The simulation reveals that fish stocks and profits can stabilize at significantly higher levels in the cooperative case, leading to a continuous accumulation of capital for all fishers. This model demonstrates key aspects of overfishing conflicts that can be overcome through planned fishing quotas and cooperative market mechanisms. It also demonstrates a novel approach for simulating the dynamic behavior of heterogeneous fishers.

Managing Risk, Resisting Management: Stability and Diversity in a Southern Australian Fishing Fleet

At Lakes Entrance, in Victoria (Australia), locally-based commercial fishers utilize diversification (e.g. multiple targets, fishing areas, boats, or markets) as a means of managing the risks that characterize the biological and economic environments they experience. These strategies have contributed to numerical stability of the local fleet at a time when most southeastern Australian fishing fleets are in decline. In effect, the Lakes Entrance fishing community has avoided, or at least delayed, outcomes that are explicitly intended by recent approaches to fisheries management. An implication of these observations is that the behavior of fishers, including, importantly, how they manage risk, offer lessons for fisheries managers with respect to both why their plans often fail and why different plans could be more successful.

Modeling trip choice behavior of the longline fishers in Hawaii

Abstract Fishers’ trip choice behavior in Hawaii’s longline fishery was analyzed by applying a utility theoretic mixed model (a combination of the conditional and multinomial logit (unordered) models) which accounts for both choice- and individual-specific attributes. The results indicate that fishers demonstrated utility maximizing and risk-averse behavior. They exhibited ‘inertia’ in switching to alternate trip choices. The stock level of major species, vessel age and size also significantly influenced fisher’s trip choice behavior. There was a high proportion of concord between the actual choice and model’s in-sample prediction of choices. Trip choice behavior was also simulated under different fleet structure and stock conditions.