Principal socio-economic characteristics of the Greek small-scale coastal fishermen

The development of a typology of the Greek small-scale fishermen, based on socio-economic and fisheries information was examined using data from 551 fishermen interviews in 18 prefectures of Greece. The fishermen are relatively aged, they have mostly attained elementary education and their annual income is low. The catch is traded in both the wholesale and the retail market. The income from fisheries is significantly higher in continental than insular prefectures and higher in the Aegean than the Ionian Sea. The fishermen were categorised in three groups of dependence on fisheries (high, medium and low) according to the percentage of income originating from fishing, with more than 60% of the fishermen belonging to the high dependence group. There were significant differences among these groups in the fishermen age, annual income from fisheries, vessel length and the yearly days of fishing activity. The nature of the fishing licensing system and its implications for management are discussed and also compared to other European and Mediterranean countries. The individual treatment of the identified groups in the licensing procedure is discussed with regard to its fisheries and social impact. The pronounced geographic features revealed by the study on the level of dependence on fishing suggest that the regional particularities, linked to ecosystem heterogeneity, should be considered carefully in the management process.