Is It All about Profit? Greek Fishers’ Motives and Objective Profiles

Abstract

Fishing contributes significantly to food security and offers employment and income to many coastal communities worldwide. On the other hand, it has been recognized as a dangerous and demanding activity that involves high economic risk and uncertainty as well as outdoor work and interactions with nature, which makes fishing more of a way of life rather than just a way to make a living. Non-monetary attributes of fishing have been reported to affect fishers’ decision-making and management and can explain the resilience and sustainability of the sector, even in difficult economic circumstances that hinder profitability. This study uses multivariate statistical analysis to identify profiles of Greek fishers according to their motives and objectives and to link them to the main demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Overall, five fisher profiles are identified, including “profit maximizers”, “business-oriented” and “subsistence” fishers. Our analysis indicates that all fishers value the non-monetary attributes of the activity higher than monetary values like profit, though large-scale fishers seem to be more business-oriented than small-scale fishers. The identification and understanding of the objective profiles provide useful insights to researchers, advisors and policymakers regarding fishers’ decision-making and can ultimately lead to more efficient policy design and fisheries management.