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The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was associated with an "anthropause" in many industries, initially reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other negative anthropogenic influences. However, outdoor recreation has exploded in popularity in response to closures of indoor recreation options, increased free time, and/or increased levels of stress. We tested for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the sale of fishing licenses in Wisconsin and on vehicle counts that were observed at public lake access points in Vilas County, Wisconsin, in 2020. In the summer of 2020, fishing license sales in Wisconsin, USA, increased, particularly among first-time license purchasers for whom cumulative sales in 2020 increased by 71% and 35% compared with the previous 5-year average for Wisconsin residents and nonresidents, respectively. Changes in the vehicle counts at lake access points in the summer of 2020 varied considerably by lake. However, lakes with greater proportions of public shoreline experienced pandemic-associated increases in lake visitors. Our results suggest that the distribution of recreational fishing effort in Wisconsin changed during the pandemic, potentially placing additional harvest pressures on hot spot inland lakes.

Maritime workers and their global health: Need to improve scientific knowledge and prevention

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared seafarers as essential workers and recommended they have priority access to COVID-19 vaccination [6]. [...]maritime workers have a high rate of occupational accidents. Most of them are linked to human factors and work performance [9]. [...]depression, boredom and fatigue have been described as risk factors [9-11]. Improving and building of Cohort studies, creating Exposure assessment and Prevention measures, improving Equity, Health, and Education. 1 ORPHY Laboratory, University Brest, Brest, France 2 Occupational and Environmental Diseases Center, Teaching Hospital, Brest, France 3 French Society of Maritime Medicine Brest, Brest, France 4 Centre for Maritime Health and Society, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark 5 Universidad Metropolitana de Educación Ciencia y Tecnología.

Seafarers' mental health in the COVID-19 era: lost at sea?

Seafarers are exposed to several physical and psychosocial stressors. Recent studies highlighted specific disorders as fatigue, boredom and diseases as depression. Seafarers are also commonly exposed to post-traumatic stress disorder (piracy, accidents, threats). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) impacts seafarers with an estimated 400,000 of whom are stranded on vessels around the world, with extended time on board, repatriation's difficulties and the financial concerns of the unexpectedly unemployed. International Maritime Organization has established the Seafarer Crisis Action Team to help them. In France, in last 10 months a dedicated call centre received 142 calls from 32 seafarers for psychological phone consultations mostly linked to this era. With the increase of duration of the COVID-19 crisis, psychological health care, repatriations and financial solutions are needed for seafarers.

Adaptation and resilience of commercial fishers in the Northeast United States during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Commercial fisheries globally experienced numerous and significant perturbations during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting the livelihoods of millions of fishers worldwide. In the Northeast United States, fishers grappled with low prices and disruptions to export and domestic markets, leaving many tied to the dock, while others found ways to adapt to the changing circumstances brought about by the pandemic. This paper investigates the short-term impacts of the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic (March-June 2020) on commercial fishers in the Northeast U.S. to understand the effects of the pandemic on participation in the fishery and fishers' economic outcomes, using data collected from an online survey of 258 Northeast U.S. commercial fishers. This research also assesses characteristics of those fishers who continued fishing and their adaptive strategies to the changing circumstances. Analysis of survey responses found the majority of fishers continued fishing during the early months of the pandemic, while a significant number had stopped fishing. Nearly all reported a loss of income, largely driven by disruptions of export markets, the loss of restaurant sales, and a resulting decline in seafood prices. Landings data demonstrate that while fishing pressure in 2020 was reduced for some species, it remained on track with previous years for others. Fishers reported engaging in a number of adaptation strategies, including direct sales of seafood, switching species, and supplementing their income with government payments or other sources of income. Many fishers who had stopped fishing indicated plans to return, suggesting refraining from fishing as a short-term adaptation strategy, rather than a plan to permanently stop fishing. Despite economic losses, fishers in the Northeast U.S. demonstrated resilience in the face of the pandemic by continuing to fish and implementing other adaptation strategies rather than switching to other livelihoods.

Wellbeing of a selection of seafarers in Eastern Adriatic Sea during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020.

BACKGROUND: Work-related stress among seafarers is well known but a suspected excess of work-related stress due to the COVID-19 so far has not been published. The aim of the study was to evaluate the well- -being of the seafarers during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and their evaluation of the precautions taken by the shipping companies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-two seafarers completed the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) with three extra questions on how the COVID-19 precautions were taken on board. RESULTS: The mean Likert score was 13.9 for the whole sample, corresponding to "no problems" while a subgroup of 40% had mean Likert sum scores of 16.1 (level 15-23) corresponding to "starting problems." In response to the extra items, 50% of the seafarers did not feel safe doing their job in relation to the epidemic and 60% did not think everything has been done to ensure their health at work in relation to the epidemic. Thirty per cent suffered of insomnia to the extent of becoming concerned and 26% had been unhappy and depressed during the latest tours of duty. CONCLUSIONS: The hypothesis that excess work-related stress has been put on the seafarers in this specific situation was confirmed and calls for prevention. A combination of person-focused and organisation-focused prevention approaches has been advocated as the most promising for alleviation of job stress in the workplaces at sea.