Sustainable Fisheries Production: Management Challenges and Implications for Coastal Poverty

Abstract

Wild-caught fisheries and aquaculture constitute a critical sector for fishing communities and developing coastal economies throughout the world. They contribute a nominal value of $170 billion to the global economy, while supporting the livelihoods of an estimated 520 million people (FAO 2008). While a significant portion of the value of production is through large-scale or high-value stocks such as tuna, shrimp, and anchovy, demographically, 90% of all fishermen work at a small scale and live in developing countries (McClanahan et al. 2008; World Bank 2008). At the household level, fisheries provide not only significant employment income but also critical food security as the main source of protein for numerous small island states and coastal countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, French Guiana, the Gambia, Ghana, Indonesia, and Sierra Leone (FAO 2008). On a national scale, fishery contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ranges from around 0.5% to 2.5%, but may be as much as 7% in some coastal countries, such as Senegal, and upwards of 20% on small Pacific islands (Zeller et al. 2007).