Technical Innovation in the Pacific Coast Trawl Fishery: The Effects of Fishermen's Characteristics and Perceptions on Adoption Behavior

The adoption/nonadoption of technical innovations was examined in the Pacific Coast trawl fishery using a model based on recent conceptual issues raised in the innovation diffusion literature. Included in the model were variables measuring each fisherman's personal characteristics and situation, attitudes about fishing, and perceptions of each innovation's characteristics. Data were collected in 83 personal interviews during spring 1984, a period of economic crisis in the fleet. The results indicate that a different subset of independent variables explained the adoption of each innovation. This appears to be due to the innovation-by-innovation differences in the match between the potential adopter and the innovation. The effect of variables on adoption/nonadoption varied across innovations. The characteristics of potential adopters and the characteristics of the innovations, as perceived by the potential adopters, were both important determinants of adoption/nonadoption.