Abstract

The ongoing process of transition in the small scale fishery sector of Honduras, where social relations are changing in a complex process of commoditization, has given rise to new modes of fishing livelihood strategies. The "traditional" artisanal fishing household, which relies on family labor and is partially integrated into markets, is only one of the different modes of fishing livelihood strategy that exists today in the coastal zone of northern Honduras. For a general description of the various fishing livelihood strategies in Honduras, we distinguishes three ideal types of fishing styles: capitalist, entrepre-neurial and artisanal fishing. The capitalist mode mainly involves large corporate/industrial fishing linked to the export model. Entrepreneurial farming is of smaller size, but has also a distinct market focus and a logic of financial and industrial capital integration. Artisanal fishing is primarily characterized by family labor and family-owned boats and means of fishing. However, in Honduras there is a large group of fishermen without their own means of fishing, who work as laborers on other boats and/or lease space on boats for subsistence fishing. This group of fishermen will be added to the list of ideal types. Because they are ideal types, in reality the difference between them is blurred, and we can expect overlapping spaces and interactions among the four livelihood strategies. The different livelihood strategies are a result of how fisher house-holds experience the broader transition process, their strategy for adapting to the institutional context and their effectiveness at negotiating with other actors. It's common to find all the livelihood strategies coexisting within the same geographic area.

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