Exploring the changing role(s), identities and wellbeing of women in small-scale fishing families

小型渔船（10米以下）占英国捕鱼船队的80%[1]，但仅获得全国捕鱼配额的4%[2，3]。由于未能优先考虑这一行业，人们普遍认为，英国已经离开了依赖它的家庭。这一脆弱性背后隐藏着数千名对小型渔业企业生存至关重要的女性。为了探索和提升她们的形象，该项目将研究女性在渔业家庭中的角色、身份和福祉。这项研究特别及时，因为退出欧盟后，英国政府将重新审视其对渔业的支持，研究重点是妇女在应对渔业部门最近的经济衰退中所发挥的作用。这主要有两种方式：一）渔业多样化，二）非渔业就业。一）最近的研究表明，渔业多样化-通过在几个不同的地区经营以分散低渔获量的风险-可以帮助小规模渔民创造稳定的收入[4-6]。多样化战略的例子是加工鱼和开设餐馆，在那里捕获的鱼可以以更高的价格出售。虽然妇女在渔业多样化中的贡献被认为是重要的[4]，但迄今为止还没有研究深入探讨这一点。ii）该项目还将考虑捕鱼家庭如何通过寻求非捕鱼就业来适应经济衰退。除此之外，以前的研究指出，妇女支持其男性捕鱼伙伴的福祉和健康[7，8]，但这项研究没有探讨妇女本身的福祉。通过回应这些知识差距，这项研究将研究妇女在渔业家庭中不断变化的角色，以及这与妇女不断变化的身份及其福祉之间的关系。为了达到研究目的，研究将分两个阶段进行，采用定性方法-一种包括访谈和听取他们的经验的研究方法。第一阶段将涉及一段时间的深入采访在英国的家庭。在加拿大也将收集信息，以探讨两个国家之间的相似之处和不同的捕鱼政策。在探索这些方面的渔业家庭，这项研究将提供新的和重要的见解，渔业家庭如何才能发展适应其行业的变化，以及政府如何支持这一点。研究亦会显示渔业家庭的转变如何影响妇女的福祉，以及是否可以采取更多措施支援她们。除了达致研究目的外，首席研究员亦会透过召集及领导一系列持份者参与活动，以达致社会影响。特别是，该项目将与该项目的非学术指导小组合作，建立“妇女捕鱼家庭协会"平台。在WIFFA平台内，PI将为渔业家庭的妇女共同组织一个跨欧洲交流方案，旨在发展网络内的能力，并将举办一个最后讲习班，传播和讨论研究结果和WIFFA的进展。这项研究的结果和WIFFA的进展将在项目网站和项目最终手册中进行交流。这些利益攸关方参与活动的目的是通过让人们看到妇女的贡献和听到她们的声音，提高联合王国小规模渔业家庭中妇女的形象。

Small-scale fishing vessels (those under ten metres) make up 80% of the UK's fishing fleet [1] yet receive only 4% of the total national fishing quota [2,3].By failing to prioritise this industry, it is widely established that the UK has left the families that depend upon it vulnerable. Hidden within this vulnerability are thousands of women vital to the survival of small-scale fishing businesses.To explore and raise their profile, this project will examine women's roles, identities and wellbeing in fishing families.This research is particularly timely as, by exiting the EU, the UK government will be reviewing its support to the fishing industry, making decisions about what type of fishery - and whom within it - should be supported and how.The research focuses on the roles women play in responding to recent economic downturns in the fishing sector. There are two main ways in which this is done: i) fisheries diversification, and ii) non-fishing employment.i) Recent research has shown that diversifying fishing businesses - by operating in several different areas to spread the risk of low catches - can help small-scale fishers to create stable incomes [4-6]. Examples of diversification strategies are processing of fish and opening a restaurant where the caught fish can be sold at a higher price. Whilst the contributions of women within fisheries diversification have been noted as important [4], no research to date has explored this in-depth. ii) The project will also consider how the fishing family can adapt to economic downturns by seeking non-fishing employment.Alongside this, previous research has noted that women support the wellbeing and health of their male fishing partners [7,8] but this research has not explored the wellbeing of women themselves.By responding to these gaps in knowledge, this research will study women's changing roles in fishing families and how this is associated with women's changing identities and their wellbeing. To meet the research aims, the research will take place in two phases using a qualitative approach - a method of study which involves interviewing people and listening to their experiences. Phase I will involve a period of in-depth interviews with families in the UK. Information will also be collected in Canada to explore similarities and differences between two countries with different fishing policies.In exploring these aspects of the fishing family, this research will provide new and vital insights into how fishing families can develop resilience to changes in their industry, and how governments can support this. It will also show how changes in fishing families can affect the wellbeing of women and if more could be done to support them.In addition to meeting the research aims, the Principal Investigator (PI) will seek to achieve societal impact by convening and leading a series of stakeholder engagements. In particular, the project will establish the platform 'Women In Fishing Families Association' (WIFFA) in collaboration with the project's non-academic Steering Group. Within the WIFFA platform the PI will co-organise one trans-European exchange programme for women in fishing families aiming to develop capacity within the network as well as a Final Workshop were research findings and WIFFA progress will be disseminated and discussed. Findings from this research and progress of the WIFFA will be communicated on the project website and in the project Final Booklet. The aim of these stakeholder engagement events is to raise the profile of women in small-scale fishing families in the UK by making their contributions visible and their voices heard.