Fishing is often seen as a male activity, especially when it comes to working on board fishing vessels and involving long absences at sea. However, women play an important role in the fisheries sector, especially in small-scale family businesses. Either they are involved in the fishing activity itself, on board or on foot as shellfish gatherers, or they support the business through on-shore activities such as fishing gear preparation and maintenance, transporting fish to auctions, sales, administration, logistics or even the development of tourist activities.
This work is not always recognised. According to a study for the European Commission, the share of unpaid women in fisheries (6.6 %) is almost double their share in total employment (3.8 %). However, this level of employment is an underestimate, as women who are not actively engaged on board fishing vessels are often not visible in the official statistics.
Women are also very present in other seafood sectors. They represent about a quarter of the aquaculture workforce and about half in the fish processing industry. The figures differ greatly per EU country and region. In Lithuania, the share of female workers in fish processing is 69 %. The share is even higher in specific FLAG areas, it is estimated at 75 % in Costa a Morte in Spain and 90 % in Plodovi Mora in Croatia.
In total, it is estimated that more than 100 000 women were employed in the EU's fisheries, aquaculture or fish processing sectors in 2014.
Although women make up a significant part of the workforce, they often work in underpaid and low-value positions. In addition, they are under-represented in decision making bodies.
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