Constructing ‘The Stade’: Fishers' and non-fishers' identity and place attachment in Hastings, south-east England

Many coastal communities have strong links to fishing that span generations where fishing is a way of life that goes beyond the means to earning a living. Fishing's influence is not confined to those activities that take place at sea, but spills over onto land to create a particular identity and sense of place in coastal towns inherently linked to fishing. Using Hastings in south-east England, with Britain's largest beach-launched fleet, as a case study, this paper considers how marine fishing contributes to place-making. Through an examination of the physical environment and semi-structured interviews, the study found that fishers have deep attachments to the fishing beach, called the Stade, which also defines their identity as individuals and as a fishing community. Non-fishers also value the contribution that fishing makes to the character of the town and its importance for related industries such as tourism. A deeper understanding of the attachments that fishers and non-fishers form with fishing places is needed to inform both local planning and regeneration strategies and, more broadly, fisheries and marine policy.

► Fishing contributes to sense of place in terms of fishermen's identity, community identity and through the material culture of fishing.
► Fishermen in Hastings have a strong occupational identity, with fishing as a way life.
► Non-fishers value the contribution that fishing makes to the character of Hastings.
► Fishing on the Stade in Hastings is important in terms of tourism.
► Understanding the social and cultural role of fishing is important in policy development contexts.