Merfolk being accidentally fished by fishermen and just staring at each other like "you kind of look like me but what the fuck are you"

Proceeded by trying to communicate using our dear universal language of just yelling/screeching while making hand motions.

At one point they find a way to communicate.

Commercial relationships are established soon after they are able to communicate.

In return for their help with finding fish banks and other resources, fishermen will make sure certain areas are protected and devoid of people, as well as guaranteeing a constant supply of meat (cattle and whatnot).

They exchange fishing techniques as well.

I just think that if we pushed aside for a second the "humans destroy everything they touch" thing, we could find some wholesome scenarios.

Cartographing the ocean gets 10000000 times easier.

All in all merfolk are treated like land folk.

I saw this the other day on instagram? I think? But let me reiterate: merfolk getting their land groceries on floating markets in exchange for seashells and other products humans use to eat, to dye cloth, for medicine...

These headcanons are all kind of based in a pre-industrial era, so no dumping toxic waste on the ocean yey.

That doesn't mean that conflicts don't happen, because they do. Battles and wars are fought between humans and merfolk just as they are fought between merfolk and humans as well.