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.

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.

"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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.