Vanished Prosperity: Poverty and Marginalization in a Small Polish Fishing Community

Abstract

This chapter presents results of a study that was conducted in a small fishing community located on the shore of the Vistula Lagoon, where fisheries have played a significant role in the socio-economic and cultural life of the inhabitants of this area. After World War II, the populations of Vistula Lagoon communities and the surrounding areas were almost completely changed. Fisheries became a very important source of income for the local people, and a very important element in their social integration. Fishers were part of the social elite in their communities. Recently, a new political and economic reality (especially the introduction of the free market economy), aquatic ecosystem degradation, decline in fish stocks, and few employment alternatives have resulted in the diminishing economic power of fishers and other inhabitants of coastal communities. Fisheries can no longer guarantee sufficient income to live on. This chapter discusses strategies and activities that ought to be considered to improve socio-economic conditions in such communities; finds answers to questions on what kind of governance may prevent overuse and degradation of natural resources; and provides remedies that are suited to reduce the risk of poverty. Unstructured interviews and focus group discussions with local inhabitants, many of whom have been employed in the fishing industry, were the main research methods.