Ricerca del profitto e protezione dell’ambiente. Un binomio possibile? Il settore della pesca in Québec

In public opinion, fishing as an industry has very often been associated with various environmental issues. In this article, we focus on the environ mental discourse of fishers, as well as their behaviour and professional practices. Our reflection is based on a qualitative research project, which took place between 2016 and 2018 in the Gaspésie region of Québec, Canada. The professional «ethos» of fishers is strongly linked to nature and the environment. Their proximity to nature makes them witness to many environmental issues, thus developing an environmental awareness. The captain-owner’s discourse on the environment revolves mainly around their vulnerability to changes in the ecosystem. Our analysis focused on two main categories of environmental behaviours: voluntary and imposed actions. Voluntary environmental actions are mainly motivated by the desire to protect the marine resource in order to ensure the sustainability of fishing sector. Environmental behaviour imposed by fisheries regulatory bodies mainly concerns fishing quotas, fisheries management zones, fishing gear and bycatches. The degree of acceptability of these imposed actions may greatly vary.