Understanding drivers of coastal fishers' willingness to exit fishing in Zhejiang, China

Global overfishing continues to threaten marine ecosystems and coastal livelihoods, making the reduction of fishing effort a critical conservation priority. One pathway to lessening overfishing is the voluntary exit of fishers from capture fisheries, yet the factors shaping such willingness remain insufficiently understood. We investigated exit intentions among coastal fishers engaged in marine capture fisheries (n = 446) in Zhejiang Province, China, within a sociopsychological framework that encompassed attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control, and value trade-offs. Data were collected through a cross-sectional, interviewer-administered questionnaire survey conducted face to face. We used structural equation modeling to test how these factors were associated with exit intentions. Respondents' willingness to exit capture fisheries was generally low. Respondents who had confidence in their transition capacity, had ecological concerns, perceived a transition as fair, and believed that the transition adhered to community expectations had higher exit intentions, whereas respondents with stronger livelihood risk perceptions had lower exit intentions. Results of our survey showed that exit decisions extended beyond economic rationality and were rooted in psychological assessments and social concerns. Recognizing these dynamics is crucial for conservation strategies to align with fishers' lived realities and to support sustainable livelihood transitions away from capture fisheries.