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

小型渔船（10米以下）占英国渔船总数的80%，但只占全国捕捞配额的4%[2,3]。由于没有优先考虑这个行业，人们普遍认为，英国让依赖这个行业的家庭变得脆弱。隐藏在这种脆弱性之下的是成千上万的妇女，她们对小规模渔业企业的生存至关重要。为了探索和提高她们的形象，该项目将研究妇女在渔业家庭中的角色、身份和福祉。这项研究尤其及时，因为退出欧盟后，英国政府将审查其对捕鱼业的支持，并决定应该支持哪种类型的渔业，以及其中的谁，以及如何支持。这项研究的重点是妇女在应对渔业部门最近的经济衰退方面所发挥的作用。实现这一目标的主要途径有两种：1)渔业多样化；2)非渔业就业。i)最近的研究表明，渔业业务多样化——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鱼的加工和开一家餐馆，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方面的贡献被认为是重要的，但迄今为止还没有研究对此进行深入探讨。ii)该项目还将考虑渔民家庭如何通过寻求非渔业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。通过对这些知识差距的回应，本研究将研究妇女在渔业家庭中的角色变化，以及这与妇女不断变化的身份和她们的福祉之间的关系。为了达到研究目的，研究将分两个阶段进行，使用定性方法-一种研究方法，包括采访人们并听取他们的经验。第一阶段将包括对英国家庭的深度访谈。还将在加拿大收集资料，以探讨两个捕鱼政策不同的国家之间的相同点和不同点。在探索渔业家庭的这些方面时，这项研究将为渔业家庭如何发展对其行业变化的适应能力以及政府如何支持这一点提供新的和重要的见解。它还将展示渔业家庭的变化如何影响妇女的福祉，以及是否可以做更多的工作来支持她们。除了实现研究目标外，首席研究员（PI）还将通过召集和领导一系列利益相关者的参与，寻求实现社会影响。特别是，该项目将与该项目的非学术指导小组合作建立“渔业家庭妇女协会”平台。在WIFFA平台内，PI将共同为渔业家庭的妇女组织一个跨欧洲交流方案，目的是发展网络内的能力，并举办最后讲习班，传播和讨论研究成果和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小册子中公布。这些利益相关者参与活动的目的是提高英国小规模渔业家庭妇女的形象，使她们的贡献可见，她们的声音被听到。

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.