Artisanal fishermen"s attitudes toward the occupation of fishing in Panama

HOWEVER, PATTERNS OF ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE OCCUPATION OF FISHING AND OTHER VARIABLES LEAD TO THE PREDICTION THAT THIS RELATIVELY POSITIVE IMAGE OF THE OCCUPATION MAY BECOME MORE NEGATIVE IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS BASED ON FINDINGS SUGGESTING A TENDENCY AMONG YOUNGER FISHERMEN TO BE MORE CRITICAL OF THEIR OCCUPATION THAN OLDER FISHERMEN, AND THAT THE MORE EDUCATION A FISHERMAN HAS, THE LESS LIKELY HE WILL BE TO PERCEIVE FISHING AS A DESIRABLE OCCUPATION FOR HIS SON. TODAY, THOUGH, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO CONVINCE MANY FISHERMEN THAT AN ALTERNATIVE OCCUPATION COULD BE AS REWARDING, UNLESS THE ALTERNATIVE REWARDS ARE PRESENTED IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THEY CONTRAST FAVORABLY WITH THE FISHERMAN"S PERCEPTION OF HIS PRESENT OCCUPATION.