The fisheries literature embodies critical assumptions about fisherman attitudes and motivations. Common assumptions are that populations of fishermen are homogeneous in motivation and decision making and that they behave in a myopic fashion, ignoring the effects of their fishing activities on the fishery resource, The results of a survey of trawl vessel captains challenge these assumptions. We document a heterogeneous population of captains who hold a diverse set of views toward work, risk, and the ocean environment. We discuss the implications of these survey results for the design and implementation of fishery regulations, and for the rationalization of fisheries. We note the potential costs of misrepresenting fishermen in models of fishery resource use.
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