Fishermen’s risk perception in four European countries

This paper focuses on risk perception amongst fishermen in four countries: the Faroe Islands, Greece, Iceland and the uk. The main question addressed is whether fishermen in the four countries perceive risk in a similar or diverse manner. In particular, risks associated with policy, management and control, fish stock health, economic factors and climate change are analysed. Data on risk perceptions were collected through a series of unstructured interviews based on an adapted version of the mental modelling methodology. The output of the interviews was analysed qualitatively and by using simple descriptive statistics. The key findings of this paper are that risks relating to policy, management and control are of most concern to fishermen, followed by economic factors and the impact of fishing on the environment. It was also apparent from these results that most of the risks cited by fishermen tend to be controlled by agents outside the fishing industry. This study contributes to the emerging theory of risk within the fishing sector and highlights the areas that need to be addressed by fisheries managers to improve resource management. However, further analysis and research is required to fully comprehend risk perception among fishermen and other stakeholders in the marine environment.