Wales Socio-Economic Survey

2.2 If you are a commercial fisher, select the statement(s) that best describes you:

Vessel ownerSkipperOther crew member

2.3 What is the PLN of the boat on which you work?

2.4 Which species do you target?

2.5 Do you employ staff as part of your commercial business?

Yes, please specifyNo

2.6 How many people work for you currently (please include yourself):

2.7 How many of your staff are (please include yourself):

2.8 How many of your staff are (please include yourself):

2.9 Are you a member of a collective organisation or group?

Yes, (please expand on what benefits the organisation or group has below)NoUnsure

2.9.1 If you are a member of a collective organisation or group please provide details of the group and what benefits the organisation or group has:

2.10 Where do you live?

2.11 Please estimate in kilometres how far you travel to fish recreationally:

2.12 Do you have any direct or indirect connection with commercial or recreational fishing?

I have no connection to eitherI have a connection to commercial fishingI have a connection to recreational fishingI have a connection to commercial and recreational fishing

2.12.1 If you answered 'I have connection...' please specify what your connection is to commercial/recreational fishing or both

2.13 How old are you?

Optional

2.14 What sex are you?

MaleFemalePrefer not to say

2.15 How would you describe your nationality?

3.1 Please specify how many members of your household (including yourself) are engaged in the following activities:

3.2 How many members of your household are engaged in onshore activities?

E.g. managing accounts for the fishing business, helping to fix nets or pots, delivering fish

3.3 What percentage of your total household income comes from fishing activity?

3.4 Do you have a second job? If so, please specify what field your job is in:

3.5 How do you work around the seasonality of the cockle fishery in Wales? (i.e. do you travel to other areas)

3.6 Did you have any additional help in 2025 that is not paid conventionally, such as family or friends? (This question is intended to evidence the family and community support that often helps small and medium scale fishing businesses)

T.1 Do you use your vessels for other purposes (if yes, please specify). For example, for commercial fishing, eco-tourism etc.

T2. Did you have a charter business before the recreational tuna fishery opened?

T3. In 2025, what was the value of the turnover of your business?

T4. What percentage of that could be attributed to tuna charters?

T5. For the last year, please estimate your business expenditure on the following items:

T.6 How many trips did you make in the last year:

T.7 What percentage of your clients were from:

T.8 How many tuna were caught by your clients in the last year?

3.7 Do you know where your catch ends up (e.g. local fishmongers, exported, processors)?

Yes, please specifyNoUnsure

3.7.1 If you know where your catch ends up, please specify below

3.8 Do you know what percentage of the value of your seafood production in the last year went to each of these end destinations markets?

3.9 How satisfied are you with the facilities and infrastructure provided at your local port/harbour/landing site?

Rows	Very satisfied	Satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
Satisfaction with port infrastructure

3.10 What improvements would you like to see made at your chosen landing site?

T.9 What percentage of the following products are supplied by Welsh businesses:

3.11 In the last year, what was the value of the turnover (related to seafood production) of your business?

3.12 Do you use a boat as part of your cockle business?

Yes, please specifyNo

3.12.2 Is your boat registered in the fleet registry? If so, please provide its RssNo

3.13.1 For the last year, please estimate your business expenditure on the following items. If you have a boat:

3.13.2 For the last year, please estimate your business expenditure on the following items. If you have staff:

3.13.3 For the last year, please estimate your business expenditure on the following items. All other costs:

3.13 Have you considered starting a charter vessel business?

YesNoUnsure

3.13.1 What factors have influenced your decision?

4.1 What percentage of your total household income comes from charter vessel activity?

5.1 Which species do you catch?

5.1.1 If you selected 'other' please specify:

5.2 On a typical trip recreationally fishing, please estimate what you spent on the following items:

5.3 How many times do you go fishing in a typical year?

5.4 In which months do you fish most often?

5.5 In the last year please estimate what you spent on purchasing the following major items:

5.6 What factors would increase the amount of fishing trips you do?

5.7 What factors would decrease the amount of fishing trips you do?

5.8 What percentage of the following products are supplied by Welsh businesses?

5.8.1 If you filled the 'other' section please provide details

5.9 Which businesses in Wales supply you with the following services:

5.9.1 If you filled the 'other' section please provide details

5.10 If you source any of your fishing supplies from outside of Wales, please specify which supplies and where you source them:

5.11 Are you aware of the recreational sea angler diary programme?

YesNoUnsure

Follow this link for more information on the recreational sea angler diary programme:

https://www.seaangling.org/

5.12 Have you considered starting a charter vessel business?

YesNoUnsure

5.12.1 What factors have influenced your decision?

6.1 Why do you partake in commercial/recreational fishing?

Outside of income, how does fishing impact your life/what role does fishing play in your life either positively or negatively? E.g. keeps me fit, connects me with nature, is a connection to my heritage and culture, is a social activity

6.2 How did you get into fishing?

6.3 How did you acquire the knowledge to take up fishing?

6.4 What challenges (if any) did you face entering the fishery?

6.5 What more could be done to encourage recruitment and diversity into the fishing sector?

6.6 What factors have positively contributed towards your experience of fishing?

6.7 What factors have negatively contributed towards your experience of fishing?

T.1 What have been the effects of opening the recreational tuna fishery on your charter business?

T.2 In your opinion what have been the effects of the recreational tuna fishery on the local community? For example: tourism to the local area - more people learning about the sea/fishing - more people spending money in the local area - sparking an interest in recreational fishing that might lead them to picking up recreational fishing

6.8 Have you experienced any mental health problems related to fishing?

YesNoPrefer not to say

6.8.1 If 'yes', what aspects of fishing contributed to these?

6.9 Do you have contact with any fishing support groups or networks (e.g. the fishermen's mission)?

YesNoUnsure

6.10.1 If you are in contact with any fishing support groups or networks please provide details

6.12 Do you think local communities should play a role in managing fisheries?

Yes (please expand below)NoUnsure

6.12.1 If you think local communities should play a role in managing fisheries please expand on how:

6.13 Please rate the following statements:

Rows	Strongly agree	Agree	Neither agree nor disagree	Disagree	Strongly disagree
Maintaining local fishing practices is economically important for local fishers
Maintaining local fishing practices is culturally important
Fishing and its infrastructure attract tourists to the community
Fishing shapes the community through the provision of culture, heritage and tradition
Fishing has knock-on benefits to other aspects of the community e.g. business, tourism, and hospitality
Commercial fishing provides a food source for people living in Wales
Local fish and shellfish from fishers is consumed regularly by locals and tourists
The heritage and culture that fishing brings is a reason that I/visitors visit this community
It is important to me that I live in an area historically built on fishing and maritime sectors.
My connection with fishing reminds me about my connection with the sea/environment
My connection to local fishing positively impacts my wellbeing

6.13.1 If you would like to add any further details on your responses to the statements above, please add them here

6.14 What are some of the most memorable or significant experiences you've had in relation to local fisheries?

6.15 How do you think the benefits of commercial and / or recreational fishing in Wales could be maximised? Please specify to which fishery you are referring in your answers:

6.16 Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Wales Socio-Economic Survey

Section 1: Contact details

Section 2: Background information

Section 3: Economic Questions

Section 4: Economic questions (charter vessels)

Section 5: Economic questions (recreational fishers)

Section 6: Social and cultural questions (all stakeholders)