Health in fishing communities: A global perspective

In resource‐dependent communities such as fishing communities, human health underpins the ability of individuals and families to maintain viable livelihoods. Fishing is a dangerous occupation, in which fishers are exposed to health risks both on and offshore. Many of these risks and associated healt...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fish and fisheries (Oxford, England) England), 2018-09, Vol.19 (5), p.839-852
Main Authors: Woodhead, Anna J., Abernethy, Kirsten E., Szaboova, Lucy, Turner, Rachel A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Communities
Determinants
Fisheries
Fisheries management
Fishers
Fishery management
Fishing
Fishing communities
health
Health risks
Human performance
Literature reviews
Livelihoods
Mental disorders
Mental health
Offshore
scoping review
Solutions
Subgroups
Well being
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Summary:In resource‐dependent communities such as fishing communities, human health underpins the ability of individuals and families to maintain viable livelihoods. Fishing is a dangerous occupation, in which fishers are exposed to health risks both on and offshore. Many of these risks and associated health concerns also extend to fishing families and wider communities. Despite the importance of health, there is a lack of understanding of the breadth of health issues affecting people associated with fishing. This study presents the findings of a scoping review of peer‐reviewed literature that identifies the range of health issues and health determinants studied in fishing communities around the world. The findings reveal a wide variety of documented health issues, but with greater emphasis on physical health and occupational and behavioral factors, with limited attention paid to mental health. The majority of studies focused on fishers themselves, as opposed to other subgroups within fishing communities. Geographic differences in the health topics investigated highlight prevalent concerns and offer potential to share insights and solutions across contexts. The breadth of findings illustrates the complexity of health for people dependent on fishing, and the relevance of the many health determinants in maintaining viable fishing communities. We propose that a social well‐being approach offers an integrative lens through which a better understanding of human health in fisheries can be achieved and used to inform fisheries management that is ecologically and socially sustainable.
ISSN:1467-2960
1467-2979
DOI:10.1111/faf.12295