Determination of job satisfaction in small scale fisheries in Aegean Sea coast of Turkey, Eastern Mediterranean

Job satisfaction of fishers affects many factors such as the tendency of entering and leaving the fleet, successes of buyback and rural development programs, ecosystem balance, even community welfare. Job satisfaction has an important place in the social dimension of fisheries management. This study aims to analyze the job satisfaction of small-scale fishers who operate on the Turkish Aegean coast. In this context, we aimed to develop a reliable and valid scale that can be used to measure the job satisfaction of fishers, to segment the fishers according to their job satisfaction and to produce policies according to the identified groups (clusters). The data were obtained from a survey of 278 randomly selected small-scale fishers who are located along the Turkish Aegean coastline. Factor analysis generated five dimensions, including, 13 statements that capture the meaning of fishers' job satisfaction. Then, cluster analysis was performed to classify fishers into segments by using factor scores for job satisfaction dimensions derived from factor analysis. Three fisher segments were identified regarding their profiles: Unsatisfied fishers (28.4%), Satisfied fishers (20.1%), and Moderately satisfied (51.5%). The knowledge generated by the study can provide insight into policymakers, non-governmental organizations and researchers to improve acceptable, less costly and applicable policy interventions for supporting sustainable fisheries.