The family fisher is a middle-aged man who, together with his family, has dedicated his life to the fishing tradition. He fishes on a full-time basis and owns his boat, a small under 12 m vessel, in which he has made moderate levels of investment over the years to maintain standards and keep up with evolving trends. His crew is composed of direct family members and locals. His target catch is varied andcaught using passive gears such as drift and fixed nets.
He may not have studied beyond a basic vocational certificate in fisheries, but he has built his fishing knowledge and skills over time on boats since he was a child, as his father was a fisher too. He is 100% dedicated to his job, which he cherishes for the freedom and opportunity to be outdoors. He finds dignity in fishing, is deeply attached to his origins, and has a strong emotional connection to nature and the place where he lives (close to where he was born or not too far away).
As such, he sees himself as a guardian of fishing heritage and traditions and has a strong sense of the importance of passing this on to the next generation. However, he is also keen to stay attuned to new developments in the sector and listens voluntarily to the advice and ideas of younger folks (his son, for example).
His business is a family enterprise involving most family members and his wife (and daughter) provides shore-based support for sales and administration. Fishing is not just his profession but a way of life for him and his relatives. He has seen his job evolve over the years, becoming more mechanised and more ‘connected’ (to people and other issues, such as sustainability, pollution, safety, etc.). Still, he has embraced this while remaining true to his values.
The products and markets he focuses on arelocal and further afield in urban centres and specialised outlets. This reflects his engagement with the promotion of quality, traditional and environmentally sound products which often bear a label of origin. This commercial strategy enables his family enterprise to maintain relatively stable income levels, even though not very high. But he sees value in job satisfaction and pride rather than just sales, despite the harshness and daily uncertainties of the job.
His resourcefulness, his family’s commitment to the business, and their complementary skills give him confidence that they can adapt to the future and overcome any difficulties that may arise. His family is well integrated into the fishing community, and as a dynamic and valued member of the community he readily engages with the local fishers’ association and is motivated to bring up the issues they face to the attention of politicians.