Loading...
Holding It All Together: Listening to the Women Who Keep Fisheries Afloat - and the Need for Support in Small-Scale Fisheries
Beck, Nikole
Beck, Nikole
Abstract
This white paper presents key findings and actionable recommendations based on qualitative analysis of narratives from support partners (i.e., fishermen’s wives, girlfriends, etc.) engaged in small-scale U.S. commercial fisheries. These voices, often underrepresented in formal data or policy forums, highlight the critical contributions, complex challenges and everyday adaptations that sustain local fishing economies and communities. Despite the recognition of fishing communities under National Standard 8 of the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA; United States, 1976), participant experiences suggest that current fisheries policies do not fully capture or integrate the contributions of support partners or the broader social needs of fishing communities. In addition, while National Standard 2 of the MSA emphasizes the use of best available scientific information, the data gathered here helps fill important social science gaps that can be missing from fisheries management decision-making. This study reveals how support partners contribute vital but largely invisible labor – bookkeeping, caregiving, financial planning, emotional support – that underpins the success and resilience of small-scale fisheries. Yet, these same households face increasing economic strain, governance exclusion, and wellbeing challenges that current systems are not designed to address.
Description
Date
2025-01-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Collections
Download Dataset
Files
Rights Holder
Usage License
Embargo
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Citation
Advisor
Department
Virginia Institute of Marine Science
DOI
doi.org/10.25773/ag4g-v819