Download Fuelling the decline in UK fishing communities?

Coastal communities and fisheries
Adapting to a changing environment
Newlyn harbour, Cornwall
Kirsten Abernethy
Lecturer in Environmental Social Science, Environment Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter
Global changes affecting fisheries
• Declines in marine fish stocks
• Climate change
• Economic changes & energy
Importance of sustainable fisheries for food security
• Dependence on fish for nutrition, income & employment
• Economic benefits & buffer against shock
• Globally integrated problem
Fuelling the decline of UK fishing communities?
…a globally integrated problem…?
Abernethy, K.E., Trebilcock, P., Kebede, B., Allison, E.H. & Dulvy, N.K. (2010)
Fuelling the decline in UK fishing communities?
ICES Journal Of Marine Science, 67, 1076-1085.
FSBI
Newlyn, Cornwall, UK,
2008
Fuel cost as proportion
of trip gross earnings (%)
Fuelling the decline in UK fishing communities?
60
70
50
otter trawl
30
scallop dredger
gill netter
crab potter
10
50
2007
2008
40
Fuel pence litre
30
20
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
0
1999
10
1998
Unit price
beam trawl
Fuelling the decline in UK fishing communities?
Significant drop in income & inability to innovate
Belief that fishing fleet will significant reduce
A likely loss of shore jobs and infrastructure
Negative social impacts on the wider community
60
Fuel pence litre
50
Monkfish £kg
Dover sole £kg
Hake £kg
Megrim £kg
40
30
20
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
0
1999
10
1998
Unit price
Why were fisheries hit so hard?
Fuelling the decline of UK fishing communities?
…a globally integrated problem…?
Fresh product sold at
auction market…
….fishers are “price takers,
not price makers”
Fewer
merchants
at the
market
Greater merchant access to
local and global markets
Fish prices
High demand
Less vessels
Less fish
Greater quality fish
5 years on…
Were the economists or
fishermen right?
Have fishers adapted
and innovated?