Trade-offs between physical risk and economic reward affect fishers’ vulnerability to changing storminess

• Fishers trade off physical risk and economic reward in decisions to go sea. Trip likelihood increases with wind speed wave height up a threshold. After this threshold, fishers’ aversion worsening weather conditions increases. Technical fishing socio-economic factors affect weather-related decisions. Fishers’ response determines their sensitivity changing storminess. Climate change-driven alterations storm frequency intensity threaten the wellbeing of billions people who depend on fisheries for food security livelihoods. Weather shape vulnerability both loss life reduced opportunities through influence fishers' daily participation The trade-off between at sea rewards continued under adverse is critical component trip but poorly understood. We employed stated choice experiment skippers from temperate mixed-species fishery southwest England empirically assess how fishers risks greater benefits expected catch prices. data were collected individual identify influencing preferred increased after which they became increasingly averse conditions. Fishing gear, vessel length, presence crew, ownership, age, recent success reliance income all influenced skippers’ This study provides first insight into socio-economic, environmental, technical that can These insights help inform climate assessments development adaptation measures.