Abstract
Fishing has been a core part of the identities of Cromer and Sheringham, rural coastal communities with a long tradition of inshore crab fishing in the East of England. However, given the decline in the number of fishing boats and wider demographic, economic and social change, the fishing identity of these towns is perceived as threatened. Drawing on qualitative research, this chapter develops a conceptual approach drawing on perspectives from place research and social wellbeing to explore the different place meanings held by coastal residents, visitors and fishermen. A focus on how different people relate to place and with each other provides a more nuanced understanding of social wellbeing. Tensions over place identity are exposed particularly between ‘newcomers’ and local residents, and over aspirations for economic development. Cromer and Sheringham’s fishing identity is being defended by the fishermen and those who value the fishery. This case study reveals the political nature of how different understandings of place, development and wellbeing are constructed and contested. The future of the fishery and the town will depend on whose values and place meanings are privileged and represented in governance processes.
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Notes
- 1.
It was set up since 2010 to bring tourists to the coast at the start of the season, in May.
- 2.
Contrary to many other UK fisheries, this fishery is subject to little regulation, aside from a minimum landing size, and restrictions on landing berried lobster caught within the 6-mile zone.
- 3.
Place research originates from many different disciplines, from geography to psychology as has been commented on elsewhere, and it is often criticised for a lack of conceptual clarity (see Lewicka 2011 for a review; and Gifford and Scannell 2010 for a unifying framework).
- 4.
Place is defined as ‘space that has been given meaning through personal, group or cultural process’ (Low and Altman 1992, p.5).
- 5.
Where this was not possible, I used an equivalent feature. For example, a picture of Cromer pier was replaced with a picture of Sheringham steam railways for which it is best known.
- 6.
Local word for a small buoy used as a marker at sea. Abbreviation of ‘dan buoy’.
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Annex
Annex
Composition of sample used for analysis from questionnaires in Cromer and Sheringham
Cromer (74) | Sheringham (50) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Residents (40) | Visitors (34) | Residents (39) | Visitors (11) | |||||||||
Period of time lived in or known place | < 2 year | 6 | 15% | < 2 year | 0 | 0% | < 2 year | 3 | 8% | < 2 year | 1 | 9% |
2–9 years | 7 | 18% | 2–9 years | 4 | 12% | 2–9 years | 18 | 46% | 2–9 years | 0 | 0% | |
10–20 years | 11 | 28% | 10–20 years | 9 | 26% | 10–20 years | 10 | 26% | 10–20 years | 3 | 27% | |
Over 21 years | 16 | 40% | Over 21 years | 21 | 62% | Over 21 years | 8 | 21% | Over 21 years | 7 | 64% | |
Level of visit frequency/knowledge of place | All my life | 5 | 13% | 3–6 times per year | 11 | 32% | All my life | 2 | 5% | 3–6 times per year | 1 | 9% |
Most of my life | 12 | 30% | Once per week | 4 | 12% | Most of my life | 3 | 8% | Once per week | 0 | 0% | |
Part of my life | 23 | 58% | daily or several times per week | 19 | 56% | Part of my life | 34 | 87% | Daily or several times per week | 10 | 91% | |
Age | <19–29 | 7 | 18% | <19–29 | 11 | 28% | <19–29 | 5 | 13% | <19–29 | 3 | 27% |
30–39 | 5 | 13% | 30–39 | 2 | 5% | 30–39 | 3 | 8% | 30–39 | 2 | 18% | |
40–49 | 5 | 13% | 40–49 | 3 | 8% | 40–49 | 11 | 28% | 40–49 | 2 | 18% | |
50–59 | 6 | 15% | 50–54 | 10 | 25% | 50–59 | 7 | 18% | 50–54 | 2 | 18% | |
60–64 | 8 | 20% | 60–64 | 2 | 5% | 60–64 | 9 | 23% | 60–64 | 0 | 0% | |
Over 65 | 9 | 23% | Over 65 | 6 | 15% | Over 65 | 4 | 10% | Over 65 | 2 | 18% | |
Gender | Female | 23 | 58% | Female | 22 | 65% | Female | 27 | 69% | Female | 8 | 73% |
Male | 17 | 43% | Male | 12 | 35% | Male | 12 | 31% | Male | 3 | 27% | |
Activities | 80% eat seafood, 95% know where to buy local seafood, 92% have seen the fishing boats active, 85% use the beach | 88% eat it, 88% know where to buy local seafood, 82% have seen the fishing boats active, 94% use beach | 77% eat seafood, 85% know where to buy local seafood, 74% have seen the fishing boats active, 77% use beach | 73% eat seafood, 82% know where to buy local seafood, 64% have seen the fishing boats active, 91% use beach |
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White, C.S. (2018). Symbols of Resilience and Contested Place Identity in the Coastal Fishing Towns of Cromer and Sheringham, Norfolk, UK: Implications for Social Wellbeing. In: Johnson, D., Acott, T., Stacey, N., Urquhart, J. (eds) Social Wellbeing and the Values of Small-scale Fisheries. MARE Publication Series, vol 17. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60750-4_3
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