Policy changes in fisheries in recent years have had a major impact on the Dutch fishing industry and are determining people’s perception of the future. There is great uncertainty about the survival of their own business: only 4 per cent of skipper-owners think they are sure that their own business will still exist in five years’ time.
Yet a majority of those surveyed (fishermen and their wives) believe that the Dutch fishing industry still has a right to exist, although the percentage has fallen from 73 per cent in 2008 to 60 per cent now. Almost three quarters do expect the Dutch fishing industry to look very different in the future. This is revealed in a study by Wageningen Economic Research on the social and cultural value of fishing to the fishing community and the consequences of policy changes.
Much has changed for Dutch fisheries in recent years. For instance, fishing in fewer and fewer parts of the North Sea is allowed due to Brexit, the designation of marine protected areas and the construction of offshore wind farms. But other policies, such as the EU ban on pulse fishing, also have profound effects on the Dutch fleet. These and other factors have led fishermen and their wives from large to small-scale fisheries to collectively worry about the future.
One such factor is the high price of oil as a result of the war in Ukraine. Respondents say they find it difficult to invest in their business, either because they do not have much space left or because they question whether investing will be profitable because policies are so subject to change. “A lot of anger, incomprehension and powerlessness resonates from the survey,” concludes Marloes Kraan, researcher at Wageningen Economic Research. “People feel they are relegated to the margins by politics and NGOs. The policy process makes people feel not heard or understood and this leads to distrust.”
The study mapped all fishing communities. The Netherlands has 44 fishing communities with an active fleet, spread across 34 municipalities, from Terschelling to Breskens. In addition, there are another 84 communities in which fishing is an important part of their history. The socio-cultural value of fishing is considerable, the study shows. Marloes Kraan: “Fishing is not only an economic activity that provides trade, employment, income and food. This study has shown that it also has added social value.”
Fishing has historically taken place in the Netherlands by family businesses with shared knowledge and a specific social organisation. These companies often have locals on board and are anchored in fishing communities. They contribute to social cohesion, cultural heritage and the social well-being and identity of fishing communities. In addition, fishing contributes greatly to the social well-being of fishermen and their families.