Challenges in the assessment and management of small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the key characteristics of small-scale coastal marine fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean as well as an examination of some of the weaknesses, gaps, and challenges faced in fisheries assessment and management within the region. The information here is based largely on discussions involving a range of scientists, managers and fishers at the first CoastFish conference (“Coastal fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean”) held in Merida, Mexico in 2004 and literature review. Small-scale fisheries in this region, as elsewhere, share similar characteristics including multi-gear and multispecies, low capital and labour intensive, remote landing sites, large number of migrant and seasonal workers, and weak market and bargaining power among fishers. Common issues facing these fisheries are resource overexploitation, complex and dynamic fleet interactions, competition and conflicts between fleets (small-scale, industrial and recreational), and post-harvest problems, such as lack of infrastructure. Research in the region focuses mainly on biological–ecological aspects, with limited attention paid to socio-economic issues. Collection of catch data is common in most countries, at least for the main target species, but its reliability has been questioned in many cases, especially when a multi-species fishery is in place. Management tools frequently used are ‘input control’, e.g., size limit, gear restriction, closed season, closed area, and fishing permits. Finally, legal frameworks typically exist to regulate fisheries in most countries, but lack of success in management could be attributed to a lack of surveillance, weak institutions, unclear legal management instruments, and limited involvement of fishers in the management process. Based on the above, we discuss ways to address gaps and challenges in the assessment and management of small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean.