Fishing Communities, Health and Wellbeing and Policy

A recent workshop in Cornwall brought together a diverse group of people from public health services, fisheries management agencies, and fishing industry representatives, to discuss the health and wellbeing issues affecting UK fishing communities. The workshop was hosted by Dr Rachel Turner and Dr Kirsten Abernethy of the Environment and Sustainability Institute at the University of Exeter (Penryn Campus, Cornwall), and designed together with partners at Cornwall Council Public Health, the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority, the Porthleven Fishermen’s Association and the Fishermen’s Mission. It aimed to ignite discussion among sectors that seldom interact, and identify ways to advance collaborations and address current challenges.

During the workshop, participants explored the wider relevance of findings from research on Cornish inshore fisheries, which focused on the community of Porthleven. This research examined the wellbeing of fishers and their families, emphasising the previously under-studied area of health. The findings showed that fishing communities are at the forefront of multiple social, economic, political and environmental changes. Adapting to these changes can incur social costs, and contribute to poor health and wellbeing among fishermen and their families.

Fishers and industry representatives confirmed that stress and anxiety are pervasive in UK fishing communities, and that fishing, as a whole family investment, has repercussions beyond the individual. Workshop participants discussed the causes of low wellbeing and poor health, in particular in relation to policy and regulation. Problems identified included the requirement for fishermen to keep up to date with a large number of changing regulations, a lack of direct communication of policy to fishermen, high levels of uncertainty regarding future regulation, and a perceived mismatch between current policies and the realities of fishing. Fishing industry representatives felt that the current policy environment compounds the inherent uncertainties of fishing, with negative repercussions on health and wellbeing. A strong theme emerging from the research in Cornwall was a sense of powerlessness caused by a perceived lack of opportunity to participate in fisheries governance, particularly in decisions made at a European level.

Fishermen and fishing communities are a vital component of sustainable marine fisheries, yet historically the inclusion of social objectives in European fisheries policy has not been prominent. The workshop discussions highlighted that healthy fishing communities with high wellbeing are more likely to contribute to achieving the twin goals of viable coastal communities and environmental sustainability. The social sustainability of fishing communities should therefore be a key policy concern.

The workshop was an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and engage diverse stakeholders, with the aim of developing partnerships to better support fishermen, families and fishing communities that are experiencing change. A summary of the research and a policy brief for key stakeholders were key outcomes of the workshop. For more information, contact Dr Rachel Turner (r.turner@exeter.ac.uk).