Coastal fisheries of Latin America and the Caribbean

viiiPrefaceAlong the coasts of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), fisheries areinherently complex – notably as a result of the heterogeneity of gears, boats andspecies, as well as the diversity of geophysical, bio-ecological and socio-economiccharacteristics. Coastal fishers in the region are especially vulnerable to the impactsof fisheries declines, given their livelihood and income dependence on localresources. Meanwhile, only limited technical and financial support exists for theassessment and management of coastal fisheries.As a result, while the importance of coastal fisheries in the LAC region is clear,their assessment is highly challenging. Limitations in the knowledge base forcoastal fisheries have become more and more evident. Within the environments inwhich coastal small-scale fisheries operate, data are typically lacking or relativelyless available and, in particular, quantitative information is relatively sparse. Forinstance, while information about fisheries landings has regularly been gatheredat a national level and aggregated to regional and global levels by internationalorganizations like FAO, there is often no distinction made between landings fromsmall-scale fisheries and from larger-scale commercial ventures. There are alsogaps in knowledge about the various management methods used in the region.The shortfall between the information available and that needed for properunderstanding of coastal fisheries makes it difficult to determine managementschemes that can best fit the context of such fisheries.We hope that this document represents a significant contribution to filling someof the many information gaps on fishery assessment and management in LACcoastal fisheries. Over the years, there have been remarkably few examinationsof fisheries in the region, and certainly not many taking an integrated and broadbasedperspective. This document can be seen as complementing past publications,such as those of FAO and the World Bank, among others, while also providing anintegrated approach to examining fisheries of the region. We hope readers will findthe volume useful, and that it might contribute both to increasing the attentionpaid to coastal small-scale fisheries across Latin America and the Caribbean andto identifying the ingredients for their successful management and their long-termsustainability.The editors