Abstract

In many small-scale fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico as well as in many coastal fisheries around the world, the hookah diving is the fishing method and gear used to harvest high-value species like sea urchin, sea cucumber, queen conch and spiny lobster, among others. However, diving related-accidents such as decompression sickness and carbon monoxide poisoning was associated with the fishing method, causing disabilities and death among small-scale fishers and negatively impact the social and economic status of households and coastal communities. Currently, there is also misunderstanding among fishers concerning diving risks. This study reports using a qualitative risk analysis the fishers perception of the likelihood of undesired health threatening events occur as a result of hookah diving, and the corresponding perceptions of impacts or consequences of such accidents. These risk perceptions were contrasted with actual hookah accidents occurring in the spiny lobster and sea cucumber small-scale fisheries in northeastern ports of the Yucatan coast. According to fishers, decompression sickness is a major problem with a possible likelihood of occurrence and disabilities can result as a conse-quence. Risk perception among older fishers was higher compared to the younger fishers, as well as, in married divers compared than single divers. In the 2014 - 2015 fishing season, 116 HBO2T to 111 divers were provided during the spiny lobster season and 157 HBO2T for 98 divers during the sea cucumber season. The method allows for identification of priority decisions relevant to the need for appropriate fishing technologies, fishers’ capacity building in health precaution-ary measures, and increased community awareness of possible consequences of current fishing technology.

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