Fish Discards & Behaviour (KB-21-002-013)

Fisheries management aims at influencing the behaviour of people, of fishermen. Currently we do not have a full understanding of fisher behaviour, we often know the results of their behaviour but not what has caused it. In many projects assumptions are made about fishers behaviour, often based on classic economic assumptions of fishers being rational individuals, whereas we know from social science research that people’s behaviour is based on much more (worldview, perceptions, knowledge, abilities, values, norms); and from behavioural economics that people are ‘predictably irrational’. In this project we will develop a better understanding of fisheries behaviour, investigate which methods and theories are available to study it and see how these different approaches can be brought together. An improved understanding of fisheries behaviour could better predict the effects of current or new measures on fisheries management (i.e. the landing obligation).