Fishing will assume a larger role in the household and community economy. Such specialization may prove beneficial under some conditions, but often the opposite will be the case. The relative attraction of coastal fishing communities is the diverse nature of their economic base. To the extent that new fishing technologies promote specialization among fishers, new vulnerabilities are introduced and the diverse economic base becomes subject to new forces well beyond local control. These may include the price of fuel, ice and fish, or the availability of spare parts.
Specialists are more vulnerable than generalists.
Fisheries policy has been too narrowly focused on increasing production and income from fishing. Efforts to promote new technologies have put increased pressure on the resource base and are threatening to increase dependence of coastal residents on a single resource. What we need to do is build on the diverse ecosystem characteristics of the coastal zone and to promote alternatives to fishing. This will serve to relieve pressure on marine stocks. It will also reduce vulnerabilities experienced by small-scale fishing communities, and may well increase their material standard of living.