Thresholds of danger: Perceived risk in a New England fishery

Building on previous research published in this journal (Pollnac et al. 1995), the paper examines individual and cultural factors that influence the thresholds of danger among North Atlantic fishers from New Bedford, Massachusetts. Refined measures of perceptions of the dangers of fishing are developed and examined in terms of their relationship to individual differences such as ethnicity, age, fishing experience, onboard position, type of fishing, vessel size, and prior experience with hazardous fishing incidents. Relationships uncovered are, in turn, examined in relation to aspects of the occupational subculture of fishing that adapt fishers to the dangers associated with the occupation. Implications of these adaptations with respect to fisher safety training are explored