New research exploring women’s roles in fishing families officially gets going, as the Women in Fisheries project launches its new website.

In the UK their vessels make up 80% of the nation’s fishing fleet yet they receive only 4% of the total national fishing quota. On the other side of the Atlantic, Newfoundland fisheries have been downsized in response to fisheries closures in the early 1990s.

In both locations people who depend upon this industry have been left vulnerable. This includes thousands of women who are vital to the survival of small-scale fishing businesses. To explore and raise their profile, this research project will examine women's roles, identities and wellbeing in fishing families. Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, it is being conducted at the University of Exeter Medical School and runs until the end of 2020.