Kutter- und Küstenfischerei in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: zur Entwicklung eines maritimen Erwerbszweiges seit 1990

Abstract

In view of fundamental changes in property ownership and the prevailing economic systems as well as the radical transformations that this branch of industry has been forced to undergo, the development of cutter and coastal fishing in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania since 1990 has been impressive. The changes began with the unlimited and unimpeded introduction of technological innovations according to whatever needs were most urgent at a given time: Boats used in gillnet fishing were equipped almost immediately with hydraulic winches to bring in the nets, which alleviated work very considerably. On the cutters, "inkers" (a combination of echograph and fishfinder) replaced the unsatisfactory echo sounders, and were followed by radar units and GPS navigation systems. In contrast, the majority of the old boat engines remained in use unless they urgently required replacement for technical reasons. In 1991 the first small Danish cutters for gillnet fishing appeared, and were soon followed by trawler cutters constructed of fibreglass-reinforced plastic. Alongside these technological developments, and a clear preference for Danish boats and fishing equipment, the fishermen have been confronted ever since with all kinds of new problems to which they have been compelled to adapt in order to continue their professional existence. These primarily include marketing their catches by themselves, usually in the form of family-owned enterprises, to the restaurant trade. The restrictive legislation confronting the fishing trade, together with numerous other obstacles, has had several fateful consequences. This is most apparent in the employment figures: On the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania between 1990 and 2006, the number of full-time fishermen sank from 1400 to 403, and in view of the average age of the professional fishermen still in business as well as the fact that the profession is attracting very few new recruits, further decline appears inevitable - ultimately this unfortunate development is presumably to be attributed to a disastrous fishing policy. The future development of the industry will be accompanied by further changes, and the transformation taking place in coastal fishing in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania - discussed here from the ethnographic point of view - cannot be regarded as complete by any means.