However, the success of such strategies depends on a range of poorly understood influences. As long-standing interactions between people and nature are modified by global environmental change, dynamic and diversified livelihood strategies that enable seasonal adaptation will be critical for vulnerable coastal communities. Many coastal communities depend on ecosystems for goods and services that contribute to human well-being. Our findings should catalyze national and regional policy makers to re-examine existing fisheries policies that neglect this sector, and spur researchers to better quantify small-scale fisheries globally.ġ.

Our results demonstrate the importance of small-scale fisheries for food security, livelihoods, and wealth generation for coastal communities, and highlight the need for long-term management strategies that aim to enhance their ecological and economic sustainability. When accounting for subsistence catch, total annual landings had an estimated value of $6.9 million (PPP, 2010). In 2010 an estimated 5524 metric tons (t) of fish and invertebrates were extracted annually by small-scale fishers in the region, primarily from coral reef ecosystems, of which 83% was sold commercially, generating fishing revenues of nearly $6.0 million (PPP, 2010). Our results show that the small-scale fisheries sector employs 87% of the adult population, generates an average of 82% of all household income, and provides the sole protein source in 99% of all household meals with protein. We construct annual landings and characterize gear and habitat use, post-landing trends, fishing revenue, total market value, costs and net income, profitability, employment and dependence on small-scale fisheries.

In this study, we take a novel approach by characterizing post-landing trends of small-scale fisheries resources and estimating their total economic value, including both commercial and subsistence values, in a remote rural region in Madagascar. Small-scale fisheries make key contributions to food security, sustainable livelihoods and poverty reduction, yet to date the economic value of small-scale fisheries has been poorly quantified.

Coastal flats nutrition information