Fisheries Decline and Religious Response - A Comparison of Ireland and the
Pacific Northwest, USA?
By Susan Power Bratton
abstract
Interviews of fishers and residents of fishing ports in the Republic of Ireland found that ties between Christianity and commercial fishing, job satisfaction, and perceptions of community support for fishing declined in stressed fisheries, and those suffering serious competition from larger ports and the pelagic fleet. A comparison of Gaeltacht (Irish speaking) harbors found that fishers from regions with greater tourism were less likely to associate religion with fishing, and were more likely to express concerns about lack of community support and substance abuse among fishers. In Ireland, religious rituals such as prayers and pattern (saints') days specifically for fishers are disappearing. Respondents from stressed fisheries are more likely to perceive other fishers as "bad" or engaging in wrong acts, and are more likely to prioritize material wealth or business success as a virtue. In the Pacific Northwest, USA, fewer fishers are religious, and religious views are more diverse - extending from nature religion to Evangelical Christianity. In both regions, the speed of economic change and lack of Christian institutional engagement with maritime issues limit Christian assistance to fishers and Christian involvement in conserving ocean resources.
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