Final Report REFITOUR

 
REconversion from FIshing to TOURism

This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission and in no way anticipates any future opinion of the Commission.

Permission to copy, or even partially reproduce the contents of this report is granted subject to citation of the source of this material.

This Project has been carried out with financial assistance from the European Commission.

Aarhus, February, 1998

Contents:

Foreword

 1. The motivations behind the project

1.a Specific for Denmark

1.b Specific for Ireland

 2. The adjustment of the project objectives

2.a Environmental education as the focal point

2.b Tourism as the focal point

2.c Fishermen as the focal point

3. The implementation of the fishery tourism

3.a Agreements with fishermen

3.b Permissions from the Danish authorities

3.c Descriptions of the tours offered

3.d Briefing the crew and educating the guides

3.e Marketing the tours

3.f Tourist registration and payment

3.g Central obstacles in fishery tourism

4. Parallel project: In Honour of the Fish

4.a Reasons for the project

4.b Project objectives

4.c Project implementation

4.d The relation between REFITOUR and In Honour of the Fish

 5. Participants' evaluation of the projects

5.a Tourist impressions

5.b Guides' impressions

5.c Fishermens impressions

 6. Results and experience gained from the Projects

6.a The strengths and weaknesses of this projects' progress

6.b Future possibilities for converting fishery into tourism

 Scientific summary

 Non-specialist summary

 Appendixes:

App. 1: Members of the steering committee and the working group

App. 2: The Folder from REFITOUR (Danish and German)

App. 3: The poster from In Honour of the Fish (Danish and German)

Foreword

In December, 1996, the European Commission, Directorate General XIV, Fisheries, granted the Danish-Irish project, REconversion from FIshery to TOURism (REFITOUR), Proposal No. 96/C 142/11, an amount of 50,000 ecus to be used for a pilot project in the summer, 1997. The following report is an analysis and description of the project phase from January-November, 1997.

The report has been written as part of the declarational obligations of projects funded by the Commission. But apart from that the report is also meant to benefit other possible projects of similar kind. Therefore, much effort has been put into trying to give the fullest possible account of the developments of the project, and of the experiences gained with the participating three sectors: the educational, the tourism and the fishery. It is the hope of the author that other innovative people or organisations will develop new, socially and environmentally sound projects within the ongoing changes of all three sectors.

All photos have been taken by Pia Rørbech, 1997

Ingeborg Svennevig, anthropologist

Both Denmark and Ireland are nations characterized by their close proximity to the sea, they are nations of the sea. Historical cities and sites were build facing the sea; but still many residents and visitors only experience the regions from the back. The REFITOUR project was outlined as an attempt to give people a chance to see the coast from the sea-side.

Generally, people are fascinated by the sea, by its secrets, by its changing faces, by its richness - and by its inaccessibility. The sea is a mystery to the majority of the human species. The REFITOUR project intended to increase peoples knowledge of the sea, both to satisfy their curiosity, and to raise peoples awareness of the sea as an integrated part of our lives on land.

Apart from their natural characteristics, the two regions in Ireland and Denmark are also characterised by their dependence on the fishery; and by a recent increase in the number of tourists visiting the regions. The Dingle peninsula has approximately 500,000 visitors per year, and for the Djursland peninsula the number is more than 1 million people every year. The REFITOUR project aimed at giving these visitors a chance to learn about peoples' traditions and special culture as a community depending on fishery.

Presently it is no longer feasible to be a community depending only on the fishing sector. According to the European Commissionair, the European fishing fleet should ideally be decreased with another 40% from the fleet size in October, 1996. Therefore, the REFITOUR project wished to diversify the economic activities in the regions, to create jobs in innovative, non-traditional, but still fishery related, sectors. This was to be done by developing the cooperation between the fishing sector and the tourist sector.

In many local areas in Europe, areas were people still depend on traditional occupations such as fishing, the technological development is currently threatening the traditional crafts and knowledge of the local waters. The REFITOUR project wanted to create a room for the local crafts and knowledge to be kept up - for the benefit of both visitors and inhabitants.

1.a Specific for Denmark

On the Djursland peninsula in Denmark, coastal fishing is, and has been, an important trade. The harbours on Djursland have had a very concrete experience of the structural changes within the fishing sector. Therefore, there is a general interest among the citizens on the Danish peninsula to try out alternative ways for the coastal fishery. The REFITOUR project was supported by a wide variety of interests within e.g. local politics, harbour organisations and educational institutions.

Further, Djursland has unique coastal conditions. Attracted primarily by the beaches and the sea, the number of tourists and attractions offered to these tourists is by now so large that the tourists are no longer choosing what to do, they are selecting what not to do. The Danish internal waters are fairly clean, and around Djursland there is a great variation of bottom topography, vegetation and marine animals. If these conditions are to be maintained, the people need to learn about them. This would primarily be an option for the tourist really interested in the area that they are visiting. It was quite natural for the REFITOUR project to offer this kind of tourist a unique opportunity to learn more about the Danish sea and its resources. Thus, REFITOUR was trying to show one direction within the Danish tourism sector: away from passive, non-thinking consumption of the coastal area, and towards an active, educational visit.

One aspect of diversifying the economic activities is to offer basic education and in-service training for the already trained persons. In Denmark, as in most of the industrialised world, the economy will increasingly be based on skilled work, and in the Danish welfare state these skilled workers do for a large part work in the service sector, e.g. the tourist sector. Thus, REFITOUR placed itself within this general and national development, placing education as a central objective for the project.

1.b Specific for Ireland

The Dingle Peninsula, located in rural southwest Ireland in Co. Kerry, is an area having an exceptional landscape of pastoral hills and high mountains bordered by a seascape of pristine beaches, rocky cliffs and the clean North Atlantic Ocean. Dingle has always had a strong commercial fishing industry and a strong farming industry. In addition, for the past 30 years the area has experienced a steadily increasing number of tourists who traditionally have come to enjoy the scenic beauty and traditional Irish culture of the area.

In the past decade, the number of tourists visiting the area has increased dramatically, now exceeding some 500,000 people per annum. However, along with this increase there has also been a noticeable shift in the type of tourist visiting the area. This shift is characterised by a decrease in the percentage of independent, environmentally and culturally sensitive tourists who would usually stay for several days at a time, to an increase in the percentage of what can be considered as the mass tourist, who typically only stay for one day or less in the area, and who do little to add to either the quality of the overall tourism experience or the economy of the area, except for a few certain businesses. As a result of these trends, over the past few years Dingle has come to learn what many other coastal areas have experienced: that in addition to more tourists, mass tourism also can mean too many cars, too many tour buses, too much noise and pollution, and, most importantly, ever fewer numbers of tourists who are really interested in the traditional culture and values of the area, for example, as are lived out on a daily basis in the commercial fishing or farming sectors. Since the Dingle Harbour Commissioners understand and appreciate some of the negative experiences and general non-compatibility issues which mass tourism has impinged upon commercial activities in other coastal areas, it welcomed the opportunity to gain experience with projected goals and objectives of the REFITOUR project.

The REFITOUR project objectives covers no less than three occupational sectors of relatively large importance for areas like Dingle, Ireland and Djursland, Denmark, namely the educational, the tourism and the fishery sectors. From the first visions and through to the implementation, each of the three sectors have been investigated in an attempt to identify the sector that would be essential for the successful implementation of a conversion from fishery into tourism related activities.

This chapter outlines activities of the project from the preparation phase of Summer 1996 up through the project implementation phase in Summer 1997. It should be understood that the distinction between the three sectors of education, tourism and fishing is only to demonstrate a progression in project development and understanding. Even though the three sectors have been emphasised differently, all three sectors have, throughout the project, been perceived as preconditional to the implementation of a conversion within the fishing industry.

Throughout the project, all three sectors have been represented and involved in the outlining and implementing of the objectives.. The first assembly of the steering committee was held on 14 October 1996. Subsequent meetings were held in 1997 on 28 January, 29 April, and 10 September to discuss the development and conclusions from the project. Apart from the formal steering committee a working group was established as a more informal forum for discussions (members of the steering committee and the working group are listed in Appendix I). During 1997 the working group met on 10 January, 17 January, 4 March, 8 April, 29 April, 20 May, and also met with the steering committee on 10 September. During the preparational phase, the group members were informed of the project adjustments via a newsletter.

2.a Education as the focal point

In the original project proposal, the primary task is defined as "The development and implementation of a comprehensive education and training programme that will enable former and commercial fishermen to become involved in tourism-related activities." The subjects in the educational programme are suggested as follows: "Maritime biology, natural and cultural history of the seashores and the region, preservation of the environment, management and foreign languages." The emphasis on education is also clear from the budget: education and educational material is by far the largest post on the budget (ECU 204,000). In the first assembly of the steering committee, the regional educational institutions were both receptive and very interested in the project, and saw both educational and occupational potentials in the REFITOUR visions.

The educational focus in the project had solid support in the Sea and Coastal College, and the information aspect of the project played a central role throughout. The Sea and Coastal College aims at educating guides for the coastal zones. The REFITOUR project was integrated in the educational programme for the school, inspiring the content of the education, and offering an unique opportunity for the students to try their competences in communication and knowledge of the sea environemnt in practice. The sea tours offered during the project also held a large measure of education for the visitors. They learned more about the environment of the sea, the practicalities of being a fisherman, and the seasons and possible preparations of the fish.

Responses and reactions from the active fishermen on the project immediately proved that the education of fishermen as such - be they present or former fishermen - would need more preparation and diplomacy than the projects' time and expenses would allow. Thus, the educational aspect of the project played a major role, but in a more conventional educational programme than first outlined.

2.b Tourism as the focal point

The main uncertainty identified in the original porposal was whether tourists would be interested in going out on fishing vessels. Therefore, the central precondition for the projects' success was to be defined by the tourists. In the suggestions offered by the Irish partner it is emphasised that "... it should always be remembered that the wants and needs of the tourist customer must take priority whenever they are on board." The marine tourism experiences listed by the Irish partners indicates that it is essential to provide the tourists with an interesting day, which can include both new knowledge and experiences. With tourists as the focal point, the project identified what experiences and knowledge the visitors could possibly take home with them from the fishermen and their vessels - and from the harbour as a unified whole.

The general objective of the project was to open up new possibilities for a diversification of the economy in regions dependent on fisheries, and in the Irish partners summary it is emphasised that the project will have to prove economically sensible if fishermen are to involve themselves with tourists in the future. Implicitly, the vision also held a possibility to test whether tourists were or could become interested in learning more about the areas they had chosen as their destination.

Focus stayed on the tourists throughout the project. Since they are the economic precondition for the conversion from fishing into tourism, they are the ones to be satisfied, and they are the common component within other fishing communities in most European countries.

2.c Fishermen as the focal point

The project was outlined to benefit the fishermen and the fishery under the present structural changes. The basic assumption was that the fishery in Denmark and Ireland - and perhaps in Europe as such - need input from other sectors to find durable economic activities for the people depending on the sector. Thus, the initial intention was to mobilise former fishermen and their vessels, and give them a new but still fishery related income. This was to be done in respect for the special knowledge and craftsmanship of the (former) fishermen.

During the preparational phase in 1997, the active fishermen proved to be rather sceptical about the project. Further, it was recognised inthefirst meetings with the working group and the steering committee that the project would need to take the active fishermen into account, and that it would have to be based on an integrated perception of fishermen’s attitudes and beliefs within the harbours wherefrom the tours would depart. This recognition was followed by several discussions, and finally resulted in a revision of the project proposal. It was realised that the active fishermen were the ultimate precondition for a successful conversion from fishery into tourism. The identity and attitude of the active fishermen in the harbours from where the tours would depart, would always and under all circumstances form part of the tourists impressions of their holiday excursion.

From the start it had been clearly stated that the fishermen needed to see economic sensibility in taking out tourists on their vessels. Therefore, it was also included that active fishermen needed to be actively involved in any conversion of their occupation. The REFITOUR project aimed at facilitating a positive encounter between the fishermens and the surrounding society. It was assumed that both consumers and fishermen could inform each other of their particular perceptions of fish and the fishery. Thus, the project included information about fish as a resource and as healthy food, and it underlined the existing willingness of these fishermen of creating a better understanding between fishermen and the society ashore. The project became "... an opportunity [for the fish trade] to demonstrate their occupation and their products to the consumer."

The information potential of the fishing vessels was outlined as follows:

"1.Fish as food:

a. Species diversity: there will be fish caught that the consumer does notordinarily find in the market or in restaurants

b. Quality: this is fresh fish, which you can always recognise by... On this vessel we treat the fish like....

c. Health: why is it healthy to eat fish?

d. Seasons: when is it okay to eat different kinds of fish?

2. Fishing as an occupation:

a. Working conditions, seasons, how does everyday life look

b. The social and natural regulations on fishing

c. The cultural history of fishing, types of gear and vessels"

Focus was still on satisfying tourists, trying to give them an extraordinary experience at sea, but at the same time the REFITOUR project made an attempt to give the fishermen an extraordinary experience as well.

The experience gained from adjusting the project demonstrates that in future projects of this kind that the active fishermen of the selected harbours are the ultimate precondition for a project like REFITOUR. It is clear that the fishing industry must be perceived as a living activity that deserves attention under present conditions, otherwise there is a danger that in the near future it will become an occupation that is unknown to the majority of the people, which could result in people eating too little fish, caring too little about their influence on the environment of the sea, and being unaware of lifestyles basically different from the urban life of Western Europe. Thus, the project vision can be of benefit, not only for the three sectors included, but for Europe at large.

Though, as mentioned earlier, education played an important role in the REFITOUR project, the actual sea tours with tourists on fishing vessels was the primary implementation of the project. REFITOUR was a pilot project, an investigation to find out whether it would be feasible to make agreements with fishermen, whether it would prove economically sensible to take visitors out on professional vessels, whether the authorities would allow it, whether tourists would be interested and whether it was possible to develop an awareness of commercial fishing on tours like this. During the project the original idea long-term scenario changed. Original concepts included statements such as: "The boats that are to take out tourists are to be sailed by former fishermen and the staff should be well-qualified to give information about the nature of the sea, the fishery and the environment and about local culture and history. The passengers (tourists) will participate as staffmembers on the fishing boat in order to get real experience with fishing tackle and test tools for measuring the local environment. These activities will contribute to a greater environmental awareness and understanding..." What emerged, however, was a different set of concepts, concepts which should initiate a debate within the fishery sector: "The many visitors in the harbours shall have the opportunity to go sailing...with the vessels that are sailed by a crew of active fishermen that make a living out of fishing. The visitors shall be guided around the harbour, meet the fish when it is landed, when it is sold in the shops that naturally belong to a living, fishing harbour. Restaurants shall serve the newly caught fish, smaller kitchens will serve half finished dinners that the tourists can take with them to serve in privacy n the summer cottage. All these activities, and others, generate income to the harbour, the fishermen and to the society where the fisherman belongs."

The REFITOUR vision thus expanded the perspective from focusing on the sea and on former fishermen, and to include the active fishermen and the fishery related trades in the harbour. This understanding gained during the preparational phase resulted in the marketing of three types of tours departing from two harbours, and taking place in the weeks 28-33, from 7 July until 15 August 1997.

3.a Agreements with fishermen

As a pilot project, the REFITOUR project has had to steer through unknown waters. It is propably not too much to conclude that the fishermen formed the roughest and the most outspoken opposition against the REFITOUR visions. From the outset the intention was to involve approximately 12 former and active fishermen to participate in the educational training and to conduct the summer's pilot project. After the project adjustments in January 1997, the fishermen where informed about the potentials of the project: basically, they where invited to perceive the project as an opportunity to initiate a dialogue between themselves and the surrounding society. And further, that the project presented opportunities to create other possibilities apart from laying up functional fishing vessels - either temporarily in the low seasons or permanently. It was openly admitted that the pilot project posed a lot of questions to seek answers for: e.g. the economy of the vessel, the rules and regulations, and the content of the tours. In this way the project objectives where opened up to discussions with the active fishermen.

The fishermens' opposition had three dimensions: they found it practically impossible to have visitors onboard while they where working; they expected that they would never get the necessary permissions; and they figured that it would not pay. Apart from these dimensions the fishermens' opposition was interpreted to have a cultural dimension. The fishermens' unique culture was interpreted as follows: fishermen are people in balance, they are patient people, fishermen satisfy their longings by sailing. According to their life values, it is wrong to know their catch before sailing out. Further, it must be emphasised here, that when the REFITOUR was outlined, the fishing for plaice had been poor for a number of seasons, and in 1997 the plaice fishing increased significantly.

Apart from considering the fishermens' scepticism, the coordinators conducted study trips to learn from the German and Dutch experiences from converting fishery into tourism. From these trips it was clear that both Grenå and Bønnerup harbours are typical trade harbours that do not invite the same kind or amount of tourists as the German and Dutch harbours could receive. Further, the vessels involved in Germany and Holland were permanently used for tourists, or would at least be vessels temporarily rigged out for tourists. Therefore, the REFITOUR project emphasised its facilitation of small scale tourism, and the wish to use this kind of projects as a way to avoid situations that fishing harbours converting thouroughly into tourism harbours experience. But the fishermen were not convinced...

The result of the discussions with the fishermen both face to face and in the public media was that only one vessel, AS 165 "Anton", participated in the summer's on-board fishing tours for tourists. Therefore, the organisers got the advantage of a high reliability in the pilot tours. The programme was to let "Anton" sail for four weeks on pre-arranged tours, and leave two weeks and the week ends open for visitors' proposals. Through the six weeks, room and finances would be left open for other vessels to offer single trips to interested tourists.

3.b Permissions from the Danish authorities

"Anton" already had the permission to invite a maximum of twelve visitors. In the six weeks the boat was rented by REFITOUR, insurance was arranged for maximum twelve visitors.

The authorities where sympathetic towards the idea of giving temporary permissions for other vessels to bring a small number of visitors on board while fishing. This could be done after a survey of one ship that would thereafter form the standard for the remaining vessels applying for permission to bring visitors in a fixed season. Permission was given to six vessels in all (under the In Honour of the Fish project, see chapter 4.d). These permissions were given with the preconditions that the number of visitors should be no more than two, that the fishermen would size up the visitors before inviting them, and that the fishermen and visitors should be able to communicate.

It was clear from the departmental order from Søfartstyrelsen that tourists where not allowed to participate in the fishing as such.

3.c Descriptions of the tours offered

There where three types of pre-arranged tours:

A Scent of Fish, duration approximately 4 hours, fishing for flat fish, listening to the crew telling about their lives as fishermen, and having an auction over the fish caught. Price: Dkr 125,- for grown ups and 75,- for children.

In the Fishs' Sign, duration approximately 8 hours, visiting a fishery auction, touring the harbour, fishing on the sea, sailing between Bønnerup and Grenå and visiting the Kattegat Center and enjoying a fish meal there. Price: Dkr 325,- and 175 for children.

A Sea of Fish, duration approximately 7 hours, collecting material with plankton net, bottom catcher and net, learning about the feeding systems of the sea, and looking at the electronic gear that a modern fishing vessels carries. Price: Dkr 250,- and 150 for children.

All presented to the tourists under the headline: Come and experience the sea of the fisherman.

3.d Briefing the crew and educating the guides

Since the only actively involved fishing vessel was "Anton" - a vessel that already had experience in sailing with visitors, a formal briefing of the crew did not seem necessary.

The REFITOUR project was outlined as a central part of a two year education on the Sea and Coastal College, Djursland. The guides involved in REFITOUR had one years general education in communicating their knowledge about the sea, its ecology and the different fishing methods. A group of four students prepared three common guidebooks for the different tours. The guidebooks gave a short introduction to the REFITOUR vision; an overview over the subjects treated in the book; a short summary of each subject and lastly, a regular description of central issues in sea ecology, and a summary of the fish's route from sea to table with a few recipes. Apart from the guidebook the group prepared illustrations that showed the relevant ecosystems to the tourists. The guidebook included material specific to the local area that would require some previous knowledge, but the information could easily be adapted for guides in other harbours if needed.

As mentioned in 3.a, the guides would need to learn about the routines on the vessel, so that they could help the tourists and the fishermen not getting in each others ways. Further, the guides should be able to tell about general subjects in sailing, e.g. the meaning of navigational buoys and their difference from those used by fishermen in marking their nets. Likewise, guides should be able to explain the technological equipment on a modern fishing vessel. But above all, guides should know about the safety onboard and in crisis situations; in Denmark there are formal safety courses that the guides have attended.

The topics involved when inviting tourists onboard on a fishing vessel will be basically the same all over Europe, and the Sea and Coastal College by now possesses valuable theoretical and practical experience in the "Implementation of education and training programmes."

3.e Marketing the tours

Because the REFITOUR was a pilot project with a relatively short preparational phase, it was decided not to try to market the tours in advance beyond Djursland. Further, given the kind of harbours involved (see 3.a) and the project's awareness raising objectives, it was not the intention to give the tours an image of a simple, readily accessible, discount experience. The potential visitors were to be informed thouroughly about the visions and purpose behind the pilot project, and after their tour they were all given a questionnaire concerning their impressions of the trip. Thus, they became central actors in the pilot project.

The marketing material consisted of a poster and a folder advertising the tours. The practical marketing was arranged within the frames of the tourist bureaus in Bønnerup and Grenå, both of which participated in the preparation of the information material and in the arrangement of the tours.

3.f Tourists registration and payment

It was very important to coordinate the number of people on each tour, to know how to warn them if the weather made the tour impossible, and to be able to tell the fisherman how many people he had to wait for next morning. Therefore, all the tourists registered in the tourist bureaus and paid for the tours there. However, during the project In Honour of the Fish (see chapter 4), they could pay and register on the harbour.

During the sailing period, A Scent of Fish had 151 people register (83 adults and 68 children), 19 of whom were prevented from sailing because of bad weather. In the Fishs' Sign had 45 people registered (7 of whom were children); 14 of these visitors could not sail because of the weather, and 12 arrived were too late in arriving. A Sea of Life had only one adult and one child enrolling. Thus, it has been concluded that the tour A Scent of Fish (see 3.c above) is the programme most likely to succeed. People are really interested in learning more about the condition of today’s commercial fishing. The price is acceptable for most tourists, they can enroll on impulse because the tour is relatively short. The tour In the Fishs' Sign would also be possible to market. Tourists seemed to enjoy the combination of being transported on the sea, experiencing the fishery and eating a delicious meal at a restaurant. The tour is relatively expensive, and would propably be most attractive to tourists that could be informed about the tour before arriving at their hotel/summer cottage.

3.g Central obstacles in fishery tourism

First, one needs to consider the vessels and their crews. Following the implementation of REFITOUR in the summer 1997, the central spokesman for the fishermen and member of the REFITOUR steering committee is still sceptical about the economical, the practical and the legal obstacles (see 3.a) in inviting a larger number of tourists on board his vessel. The active fishermen on Djursland do not intend to convert into tourism - permanently or temporarily. But still, a number of them have shown that they are very interested in spreading out the general recognition of the fishery. And thus, the common conclusion after the summer, 1997 is that - maybe the active fishermen will not be actively involved - but by now, the ice has been broken between the three sectors.

The legal (and cultural) obstacles of being a fisherman, owning a vessel, and sailing according to the national laws will vary from country to country in Europe. The practical obstacles of bringing tourists into the harbour area and onto the vessels, and of giving them a nice off-shore experience, are transnational. Both fishermen, guides and tourists agree that the tourists have benefited from sailing with fishing vessels, and experiencing the fishery first hand. Generally, and particularly with larger groups, the guides are needed as a practical precondition for people to learn anything, and for them to get out of the way of the fishermen. Further, the guides recommended that smaller vessels are preferable, because people will listen and learn - also with their bodies (see 3.c). The tourism sector, emphasises tourists' need to have comfortable facilities, mainly resting rooms and toilets. Further, one needs to be aware that the tours on a fishing vessel will be a first time experience for most people, therefore the tours should not be too long - if marketing is focused on the ordinary tourist, the families with wives and children, as REFITOUR’s marketing was. If these practical obstacles are solved, the REFITOUR vision will have the necessary interest from tourists.

The economical obstacles are still hard to foresee for the people involved. The seasons for sailing with families on fishing vessels will be rather short in Denmark (2-3 months), the possibilities for paying a guide have not been clearly proved, the fishermens' ability to create wages that can compete with the fishery has not been clearly demonstrated. The economy of converting from fishery into tourism is insecure, therefore the conversion cannot base itself on economical arguments.

The greatest argument, all involved parties agree, in favour of projects like REFITOUR must be that there is a possibility to create a dialogue between landsmen and fishermen, that there is an invitation to both landsmen and fishermen to learn more about each other - and thus transcend the economical, the practical, and the legal obstacles.

In Honour of the Fish has been described as a by-catch of REFITOUR. With the fishermens’ scepticism towards the REFITOUR visions, the project developed a side vision: instead of inviting visitors on board, and trying to make a living from them at the same time as having a dialogue with them, the vision was to build a ‘harbour in the harbour’ where visitors could meet the fishermen, learn how to filet and prepare fish, and perhaps be invited on a (free) fishing trip. The REFITOUR vessel "Anton" was integrated in this project by arriving and departing from the same wharf where the ‘harbour’ was placed.

The project was developed in a strictly national, Danish context, and was financed by the Danish Strukturdirektorat, but the ideas might be readily exportable to other European fishing harbours.

4.a Reasons for the project

During the preparational phase of REFITOUR, and while discussing with the fishermen their willingness to invite tourists onboard, it was clear that a number of fishermen would highly appreciate a chance to meet their customers face to face, as they consider themselves the best salesmen of fresh fish after all. The fishermen wanted to show that they were conscientious inhabitants of a society, and that their fishery was not the criminal, exploitive affair that the public seemed to believe. Further, they found it more practically feasible to meet the tourists on land, discuss with them there and, if they found them fit for fishing, then invite them as guests on the fishing vessels.

In Denmark the coastal fishing has decreased radically over the past 30 years. The Danish people eat very little fish, compared to other European countries. The people behind In Honour of the Fish explained this as a result of low quality, high prices, old fashioned distribution, little popular knowledge of how to prepare fish, the short fishing season, and poor recognition of the fish trade. In Denmark some fishing harbours traditionally have one day a year where they arrange "The day of the fish". Here people get to taste fish dishes, and the fishermen have a day off to talk to the visitors in their harbour. In Honour of the Fish was an adaptation of this tradition.

4.b Project objectives

The project wanted, through the direct contact between fisherman and consumer, to initiate an event or development that would strengthen and secure the sustainability of the diverse Danish coastal fishery, with the ultimate goal being to convince the consumer of the benefits of buying fish. As a precondition for this, the consumers needed to learn about fish of high quality and easy ways to prepare that fish. Through this it could be expected that the consumers would start posing new demands regarding various consumer aspects regarding fish, and as a result the nature of fish distribution would have to undergo positive change. At the same time, the nature of fishermen would have a change to see that the public and the consumers are really interested in getting to know them and their fish. And in the end this contact might result in the fishermen posing new demands towards their organisations, concerning the distribution of fresh fish in Denmark and Northern Europe.

4.c Project implementation

The project was implemented in two of the six REFITOUR weeks, from 14 July until 25 July 1997. In the first week a 'harbour in the harbour' was established in Grenå; during the second it moved to Bønnerup. In each harbour four vessels and their crews, apart from "Anton", were actively involved. The ‘harbour in the harbour’ was, of course, the wharf from where the boats departed and where they later landed their fish. On the wharf, a fish kitchen, a large grill, a tent for debates, a tent for exhibitions, and a number of tables, where people could filet the fish, were set up. During the day the fishermen would instruct the customers in how to filet the fish, and if interested people could visit the fishing vessels. The filets were prepared on the grill, and eaten with a green salad and bread from the kitchen. While working with the fish, fishermen and consumers would discuss subjects such as fish quality, prices, fishing methods, second economy fish, seasons, species, local dishes, and everyday life of the fishermen. These days lasted from 8 am until 6 pm, and during the two weeks approximately 5,000 people had an interesting talk and/or got a delicious lunch in the setting.

The tent for debates was less filled than was expected, as most of the invited politicians and officials could not attend because of their summer holiday. Nevertheless, the project received widespread publicity, and every day press releases were sent to 25 recipients. The project also gave rise to a few constructive political discussions on what to do with the rigged out vessels, and, from the side of the fishermens' organisation, what to do about the poor fish distribution in Denmark. A number of fishermen from other harbours visited the project to see what was going on, and they all agreed that this was a good substitute for their traditional fish days, where the visitors would play a more passive role. Therefore, the project has been adopted by a number of Danish harbours, that will arrange this kind of meeting between fishermen and consumers in 1998.

4.d The relation between REFITOUR and In Honour of the Fish

The performance of the two test projects at the same time gives a unique opportunity to compare the two visions: to invite people on board to show them the fishery in action, and/or to concentrate on the harbour as such, and let possibilities arise from the contacts that are established there. It seems quite clear that the active fishermen prefer to talk to people on the wharf, to tell about their fishery and to discuss the onland conditions of the fishery sector. In addition, the owners of the vessels apparently prefer to get a first hand impression of their potential visitors onboard - before inviting them. The chosen visitors had a truely authentic impression of the Danish fishery, departing at 4 am, there being only one or two guests on board, and following the fishing as it would happen, as if they were not on board. During the two weeks these tours were free, but under market conditions, they would be relatively expensive. So the tourists' interest has not really been investigated. The mayor in Grenå expressed interest in being able to invite the city's guests on a fishing trip. Thus the target group will propably be primarily people who are professionally interested in the Danish fishery, e.g. biologists, authorities, teachers.

From the fishermens' perspective the In Honour of the Fish vision seems most acceptable. But what about the visitors? The harbour naturally opened room for a vast number of people. But this activity demands a lot of man hours, and together with the food, it is also a rather expensive affair if arranged on market conditions. Still, it seems that the Danish consumers will get the offer once a year in a number of Denmark’s fishing harbours. The target group here will mainly be national. The number of tourists actually being invited on the active fishermens' vessels is small, and these trips are definitely not for children. Therefore, another vision is needed if the tourists in general are to get a chance to experience the fishing.

The educated guides were not part of the fishing trips under the Honour of the Fish. They were present at the wharf where they could show a few things about the sea's ecology. But the real educational content of the seaward tourism, propably needs an educated person to tell about the smaller organisms in the sea, about the feeding and breeding habits of the fish etc.

Thus the project In Honour of the Fish was a vision that included the fishermens' wishes, and that created room for a very direct contact between fishermen and the rest of the society. In contrast, REFITOUR was a tourism project, with an intention to show the fishery sector new economical alternatives. In Honour of the Fish created possibilities for the involved fishermen to do things that they themselves had expressed their wish to do, whereas REFITOUR tried to market a solution that the fishery sector had not itself asked for. According to the project coordinator, the fishermenÕs need to have contact with the surrounding society would not have been debated or proposed had it not been for the discussions connected with REFITOUR. Thus, the REFITOUR tourism project resulted in innovations with the Danish fishermens contact with their landsmen.

Propably the educational sector is the one developed the furthest in the direction of the REFITOUR vision. Both the fishery sector and the tourism sector will need time and experience to get used to the REFITOUR scenario. Without further initiative from the educational sector, and without supporting the vision in a longer preparational phase, it can still be said that the REFITOUR project has created the possibility for converting fishery into tourism, but it cannot be said to have implemented it - nor can one expect that the vision will be implemented by either the tourism or the fishery sector alone.

The REFITOUR was a pilot project with the intention to test a new vision for the fishery, the educational and the tourism sectors. Therefore, this section will try to present a summary of these categories of peoples' impressions for each of these categories for the tours offered during Summer 1997. Further, their recommendations, or an analysis of their possible recommendations, is relevant for the evaluation of the REFITOUR vision and its future potentials. In a pilot project, the coordinators naturally have the most comprehensive impression of the tests included in the project, the results of the implementation of the vision. A summary of these impressions and the project’s potentials can be read in Chapter 6 and in the non-specialist summary, written by Kurt Bertelsen Christensen.

5.a Tourists' impressions

The tourists that used the opportunity to sail with "Anton" on one of the tours offered where given a simple questionnaire. The questions they were asked, were:

Age?

Nationality?

If they went in a group or alone?

Where they had learned about the tours?

What had been most interesting: the fishery, the biology, or the entire experience?

If the tour had lived up to their expectations?

What was best about the tour?

What was worst?

Was the price too high, appropriate, or could it be higher?

95 completed questionnaires were collected and on the majority of them more than one person was represented. Of nationalities represented, the questionnaires included:

German 70

Norwegian 6

Danish 21

Italian 1

Australian 1

American 1

Dutch 11

According to the questionnaires, 70% of the participants responded that the tour had lived up to the their expectations. The rest of the questionnaires expressed a satisfaction greater than the expectation. As an appetiser, the following quotations can illustrate the general tourist impressions of sailing with the crew and guides on "Anton": "that you learn a little about the everyday work of the fishermen - very natural", "the friendly crew that were able to explain so much", "the pulling in of the nets", "to take of the fish", "the fresh fish", "the weather", "too few soft drinks and too little fish", "I was sea sick, but apart from that, nothing was bad".

It is possible to conclude that the tourists were interested in following the fish from the sea to the fisherman's nets and further on through the trade to the consumers' tables. They enjoyed the entertainment of experiencing a rare way of life that is otherwise hard to be invited to attend, and that delivers some of the food that ordinary people eat. Most tourists need tours where they can bring their children and have a pleasant experience together with them. On the other hand, the educational tour, a sea of life (see 3.c above) did not attract people. Was it too long lasting, did it seem unappropriate to children, would it attract another kind of customer, or was it all just a summer-1997 coincidence?

5.b Guides' impressions

All the guides involved agree that a fishing vessel's deck is a perfect place to learn about the sea, and the ways we humans use it, and what we know about life in the deep. The combined experience of a fishing vessel with technological equipment and fish tackle; the sea and the marks that other people have put on it; and the depths where a complex system of diverse life is going on, is completed with the necessity of moving your body to get out of the way of the fishermens' working routes.

The guides were all involved in the project as a part of their education, so they kept their senses open to future recommendations concerning a close cooperation between fishery and tourism. They recommended that:

- provided there is a general positive attitude in the harbour about tourists going out with fishermen, tourists could sail with fishermen that are about to end their professional fishing, either because of age or economy. The guides emphasised that when aiming at active fishermen it would be difficult for the tourists to compete with the fishing in terms of economic return. For example, during Summer 1997 the fishing for plaice was so good that the tourists could not compete.

- it is preferable to use a small vessel where people will have to move about themselves, and where they will be able to see and hear everything going on.

- the planning of the tours be made as flexible as possible, making it possible to sail when the weather allows it and when tourists and fishermen are ready - and on the kinds of tours that they wish for.

5.c Fishermens' impression

The vessel involved in REFITOUR was sailed by two skippers. The following is based on an interview with one of them. His first thought, when questioned as to his attitude towards REFITOUR, was that the economy needs to be secure. Sailing with tourists, the fishermen have to neglect their fishing, and mainly service the visitors. If they are at the same time worrying about their economy, their payments, their rent etc. then it is hard for them to concentrate on the tourists. If they were to make a living from fishing then the tourists would be nuisance more than an asset.

His impression was that tourists mainly sailed with the vessel to experience the fishing and to establish their own impressions of the fishery. The dragging of the nets was the prime experience and compared to that, most other events and information vanished. The different themes did not really seem necessary to him, since every tour held some biology, some fishery, some coastline information etc. But as a fisherman, he was happy that the trips were pre-arranged, otherwise that would have been another worry for him. As it was he did not have to worry about the economy, nor about the content of the trips; but he did worry about the security of the tourists.

The primary function for a third person would be as interpreter, knowing the technicals in the tourists language. He believed that the fisherman's knowledge, observations and experience would be sufficient to give first timers an impression of the ecology of the sea. The ecology of the sea seemed secondary to the impressions of the fishery.

If he was to sail with tourists for longer periods he might begin to be bored, but on the other hand every group of tourists posed new questions to him, and he liked the chance to explain his profession to them.

As a general rule, all the participants in the project agree to approximately the same conclusions concerning the implementation of the project REFITOUR. Their perspectives are of course different, and thus the causes they give and the conclusions they draw point in different directions - but from the same base. The project has broken the ice between the three sectors, and it is now possible for the people from the three sectors to imagine a beneficial cooperation among them. The REFITOUR vision, with all its components, shows the diverse character and potentials of a conversion from fishery into tourism.

6.a The strengths and weaknesses of this project's progress

The REFITOUR project with its adjustments and its limited range is a dynamic and basically reference point to the future possibilities of converting fishery into tourism. The educational sector has won considerable experience through the Sea and Coastal College, Djursland - an experience that has taught the people involved about the limited range of the educational sector, and of the unlimited abilities of the people that do choose to enroll themselves as students. The sector will need elaboration and to develop if it is to attract the fishermen; on the other hand, the guides that have been educated, have proven that they can fit into the REFITOUR vision.

The tourism sector has seen that there are people who will endure the roughness of the fishermens' sea, though they are not convinced that the number of these people is large enough to pay a vessel and its crew. The sector has been confirmed in the belief that tourists visiting a peninsula like Djursland are very interested in the sea. The implementation of REFITOUR during Summer 1997 suffered from a lack of information being included in the general information material prepared for tourists visiting Djursland. The deadline for this material is December of the preceding year, and at that time the REFITOUR vision had not yet been finalised.

The fishery sector had an opportunity to discuss their relation to their surrounding society. The rigged out fishermen have not participated in this debate, and their attitude towards the REFITOUR vision is unclear. With the project In Honour of the Fish the fishermen demonstrated that they do not live up to the general prejudges against them: they actually do like to talk to people, to show them their craftsmanship, and to tell them about the fishery, but they prefer to do it on land, in the harbour. REFITOUR and In Honour of the Fish gave them a unique opportunity to do this in an economically sensible way. This will always be a precondition for the fishermens' active involvement in any project, together with the fact that fishermen simply prefer to survive as fishermen.

6.b Future possibilities for converting fishery into tourism

On a European scale the tourism sector seems more predisposed to have and to fit into a unified approach, than the educational and fishery sector does. The tourism sector thus offers the most approriate field for exchange of experiences with tourists' interest in sailing with fishing vessels, in their willingness to pay and in their wishes for the content of the trips. At the same time the tourism sector, like the fishing sector, can benefit from innovations from other people, thinking along other routes than the traditional tourism scenarios.

From a tourism sector perspective, the REFITOUR project has by now made it possible to imagine on-board marine tourism activities departing from the fishing harbour. The season for ordinary tourists is rather short, two to three months during summer, and therefore the vessels will have to sail with anglers for the rest of the year in order to make a living. The REFITOUR vision is mainly an option for the fishermen that are considering to end their fishing. These fishermen and their vessels can then establish a niche in the trade harbour, where from they can take tourists out fishing. The conversion in itself will propably need economical support, but with the combination of visitors learning about the professional fishery and others angling for themselves - the trade will propably be economically viable.

The marketing of the tours must be an integrated part of the marketing of a local area, such as Djursland. When the actual season is running, brochures and posters should be widely distributed. The successful marketing of the tourist angling fishery will propably require a few years to be incorporated into the daily routines of the tourism bureaus and into the holiday plans of the tourists.

The fishery sector in itself can be expected to take some of the ideas from In Honour of the Fish and use them as part of their traditional fish days, possibly with public funding. The In Honour of the Fish project has resulted in a manual ready for use for harbours wanting to give their visitors a chance to learn how to filet fish and prepare it - and, most importantly, to have a talk with a fisherman or two.

The REFITOUR vision is dependent on the educational sector to continue. Both the tourism and the fishery sector orient themselves towards the traditional ways of earning an income. The educational, environmentally informational content of REFITOUR needs other input to persist. The educational sector needs to find allies that want to use more effort and money on developing tours with fishing vessels that have all the ingredients that a modern tourist - and not least the areas that he or she visits - might demand.

The vision of REFITOUR was to create a mutually benefitial cooperation between three sectors of a modern, industrialised society: Denmark (using additional experience gained from Ireland) and partly from Germany and The Netherlands.

The tourism sector and the educational sector are both service sectors - or tertiary sectors: people that work to service other people. These sectors are readily open minded towards new possibilities, and they enjoy an integrated position in the overall social interdependence.

The fishery sector, on the other hand, belongs to the primary sector of people working to produce or collect food for the market and the consumers. Their experience of the surrounding society is one of demands, from the authorities, from the customers, and from their families. They feel that we neglect our basic dependence upon them, and they find it relatively hard to see our innovations as innocent visions to be tested by them, voluntarily.

In a highly industrialised society, in 1997, the former development of still higher specialisation has begun changing its direction: people now need to develop broad, diverse competences - they need to be able to work in more than one sector. Also the sectors have gradually realised their dependence on one another, they have seen that they can be more efficient in a close cooperation.

In this complex development, of a vast number of sectors gradually merging, the 'scenario-thinking' has emerged. This is the thinking behind a project like REFITOUR, in both the project proposal and later, where the coordinators explicitly describe the results of their vision as scenes. This is what is demanded by authorities and granting bodies if they are to understand the proposer's idea. The REFITOUR scenario, converting rigged out fishing vessels and fishermen into a tourism facility, was based on prolonged reflections by the proposer, founded upon visionary discussions with representatives from all parties involved. But the scenario, being as well founded as possible, still had a long process in front of it: namely, the development from idea to reality. And in this process a vast number of people needed to learn about the scenario, to agree with its visions and to enroll themselves as active participants in testing the vision. This proved very hard to do with the fishery sector in the scheduled time: half a year.

One explanation for the fishermens' scepticism is that their way of life, and their dependence on the sea, are basically different from the more service minded lives and independent perceptions of the sea environment of the tourism and educational sectors. Ideally, project coordinators and planners are able to perceive this complex of stakes, and to try to create new cooperation. The REFITOUR scenarios still need creative minds to come true.

The REFITOUR project emphasises the need to leave room for pilot projects to spread their scenario, and for the receiving parties to learn about them and accept them (perhaps in an adjusted outline). The REFITOUR experience indicates that pilot projects need appropriate scenarios to get funding, and they need time to build up the necessary back up for the best possible implementation of these scenarios.

I was employed as project coordinator for REFITOUR in the beginning of 1997. The reasons for my employment were that I have 13 years of experience in fishing, experience as a project coordinator on small and large projects since 1989. Immediately after my assignment I directed the project's focus directly towards the fishery sector, as I believed that PESCA funding are basically meant to benefit the fishery sector - if not directly, then at least indirectly. Therefore, we chose to ask the fishermen. "Are you interested at all in sailing with tourists?" And it proved that they were not at all interested - but why? There are propably numerous reasons, but the two primary, which I will try to outline in the following paragraphs, must be the special way of life and their present situation.

The fishery way of life and their present situation

For most fishermen the changes within the sector have passed by with amazing rapidity. From living relatively unnoticed by the surrounding society, the fishermen have moved into full publicity during the past 25 years - a movement that they have not agreed to or wished for.

A fisherman traditionally lives to sail, out of the harbour, away from their homes. During his entire life he has the weather as his very first thought - every day. In this matter, the fisherman differs from any project coordinator. We generally do not spend much after thought on nature - instead we primarily reflect upon social relations. Despite any obligations among landsmen, being family events or other social gatherings, the fisherman will always carry the fishing possibilities with him. If he chooses the family event - because of bad weather - and the weather turns out nice, then he will be affected by his - wrong, in his own opinion - decision. He cannot help thinking about the other fishermen, who are now catching all the fish that he should have caught. This is so for him, not because he wants it that way, but because it necessarily is that way for a fisherman/a hunter.

Of course there are major differences between the traditional hunter that hunted for his family and the modern fisherman - but there are no differences between the two souls. Should one want to describe the fishermen as romantic, then they should consider whether this is not primarily because of their own life situation, e.g. the fishermen like to talk about freedom - not his own freedom - but the surrounding society's lack of it.

According to the fishermens' impressions, the surrounding society can be characterised by a hierarchy, where education and linguistic finesse is considered the highest value. Professional and lifetime experiences, built around craftsmanship and an understanding of nature, does not have the status it deserves - in the fishermen’s opinion. Education and linguistic finesse might be useful in most societies, but between the fishermen the hierarchy is under continous change. The fishermen’s results on the sea are considered by him to be determined by a natural competition and a major degree of luck. Therefore, fishermen generally respect each other, independent of their status.

New fishing grounds and new fishing methods will need to be found, plus a number of factors - with luck as the most important - if fishermen are to experience continued success. If these can be achieved, a fisherman will continue to have high status, but it will be based on natural - external from himself - factors, not on education, on complex talking or on being rich. But these are exactly the factors that are the precondition for distinguishing oneself in the general society, and therefore this society becomes a threat to the fisherman's way of life.

The threat become visible when the fishery is controlled and managed. The fishermen find it natural that the fishery is to be managed - not because it posed threats to anyone or anything - but simply because it wasn't controlled beforehand. The fishermen interpret this as another kind of barrier: the manager’s search for areas to control. The fishermen want to conserve their last bastion of values that are unique in the present society. Maybe this is the fishermen’s contribution to the surrounding society - contributing things that we are not (yet) aware that we have lost. Therefore, quite naturally, seen from our perspective, the fishermen are the perfect liberalists. But it must be necessary for any project outline to be aware of the question of whether the fishermen have a choice at all.

REFITOUR and In Honour of the Fish

With the adjusted objectives in 1997, the primary task of REFITOUR was the establish a dialogue between the fishermen and the people outlining projects for e.g. the European Commission. But even this adjustment turning the project toward the fishery turned out surprisingly. As the project was introduced as an offer for the fishermen, their response was "are we now also asked to sail with tourists?" And the following debate proved that the fishermen found it hard to see REFITOUR as an offer. The fishermen interpreted REFITOUR as a compensation for a mistaken fishery policy. When the quota system forces people out of the fishery, then the fishermen saw REFITOUR as the managers’ attempts to find compensations for them: sailing with tourists.

Therefore, we used the debate with the fishermen to try to identify what the fishermen actually wanted: primarily they want to fish, and if there are less fish, then they would like to participate in raising the value of the fish so that they can continue living from their fishing. They also wanted to participate in raising the general awareness of the fishery in the surrounding society - but without being required to join that society. Further, we had to include the fact that during Summer 1997 the fishermen in Kattegat could make a living out of fishing for plaice. Therefore, we needed to find compensation for the fishermen participating, so that they would not lose money when they weren't fishing, and so that they would not lose face to their colleagues in the harbour. The colleagues were sceptical towards the fishermen that participated, and they would definitely suffer from the humiliation of colleagues saying that they had been fooled by clever project makers - without even being paid. These were reflections and discussions that led to In Honour of the Fish, a supplement to REFITOUR that was implemented with one vessel during the summer.

Conclusion

Local and fishery dependent societies have, because of the structural changes within the fishery, a need for new initiatives. These initiatives can only come true with assistance and support, and for this project innovators are necesarry. But despite the innovatorsÕ best intentions they must be prepared to be met with scepticism and mistrust. The innovators need to seriously consider whether they are trying to save a sinking ship, or whether they actually have an idea for a future that the fishermen will be able to live happily with. Because the fishermen will have to live with their ideas in the future.

REFITOUR and In Honour of the Fish have initiated a dialogue between fishermen and project innovators on Djursland. We have established a fruitful and supportive relation to the Irish partners. Now it is our task to maintain the dialogue between fishermen and the surrounding society, because this is the most important factor for the future fishery in Europe. We hope that our results can facilitate other dialogues in local, fishery related areas arond Europe.