Human dependence on marine and coastal resources is
increasing. Today, small-scale fisheries employ fifty of
the world's fifty one million fishers, practically all
of whom are from developing countries. And together,
they produce more than half of the world's annual marine
fish catch of ninety eight million tonnes, supplying
most of the fish consumed in the developing world. At
the same time, increased fishery overexploitation and
habitat degradation are threatening the Earth's coastal
and marine resources. Most small-scale fisheries have
not been well managed, if they have been managed at all.
Existing approaches have failed to constrain fishing
capacity or to manage conflict. They have not kept pace
with technology or with the driving forces of economics,
population growth, demand for food, and poverty.
Worldwide, the management and governance of small-scale
fisheries is in urgent need of reform. ''Managing
Small-scale Fisheries'' looks beyond the scope of
conventional fishery management to alternative concepts,
tools, methods, and conservation strategies.There is,
for example, broader emphasis on ecosystem management
and participatory decision-making. Interested readers
will include fishery managers, both governmental and
nongovernmental; instructors and students in fishery
management; development organizations and practitioners
working on small-scale fisheries; and fishers and
fishing communities that wish to take responsibility for
managing their own resources. |
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