Fishing for what? Fisher decision making in the South-west of England.

Kirsten Abernethy

University of East Anglia

Supervisors:Bereket Kebede (University of East Anglia, UK), Eddie Allison (World Fish, Malaysia), Nick Dulvy (Simon Fraser University, Canada), Andy South (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, UK)

This research uses an interdisciplinary approach to understand fisher decision-making in the South-west of England. The methods used include the development and testing of a random utility model to explain fishing location choice, an analysis of risk behaviour using experimental games, and an in-depth social analysis based on interviews with skippers. Interdisciplinary approaches which incorporate data-rich fisheries models with ethnographic and socio-economic data have been traditionally ignored within fisheries science. As fisheries management aims to change incentives in order to change fisher behaviour, a more holistic understanding of what fishers do and why, may improve the accuracy in predicting fisher response to management.

Contact:
Kirsten Abernethy
University of East Anglia
Norwich
UK
NR47TJ
k.abernethy@uea.ac.uk