“God will send us the fish” — perception and evaluation of an environmental risk in Ha'apai, Tonga

Abstract

Since access to their fishing grounds is open, overexploiting limited resources is the severest risk Tongan fishermen have to face. In showing how this risk is perceived and coped with by local fishermen, the influence of culturally shared models on risk appraisal is analyzed. These models not only determine whether a given situation will be appraised as dangerous, but also have an impact on affective and behavioral reactions. Different cultural models will be compared in order to explain divergent concerns about the status of fish stocks and consequently, divergent measures for dealing with the situation.

Citation

Bender, A. (2001), "“God will send us the fish” — perception and evaluation of an environmental risk in Ha'apai, Tonga", Böm, G., Nerb, J., McDaniels, T. and Spada, H. (Ed.) Environmental Risks: Perception, Evaluation and Management (Research in Social Problems and Public Policy, Vol. 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 165-190. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0196-1152(01)80028-4