Job Satisfaction Among Fishers in the Dominican Republic

This paper reflects on the results of a job satisfaction study of small-scale fishers in the Dominican Republic. The survey
results suggest that, although fishers are generally satisfied with their occupations, they also have serious concerns. These
concerns include anxieties about the level of earnings, the condition of marine resources and the performance of government
officials engaged in management. Such worries are offset, at least to some degree, by high levels of satisfaction regarding
the communities of which respondents are part, as well as the healthfulness and worth of the job. The ambivalence characterising
fishers’ views of their occupation carries through in their responses to general questions on willingness to shift to another
type of fishing, leave the occupation altogether and advise young persons to enter fishing. However, the survey results also
indicate significant variation between different parts of the coastline.