Using sustainability indicators to manage fisheries: experiences on the Bay of Bengal

Abstract

Experience in the fisheries of the Bay of Bengal has demonstrated that a key factor in the sustainability of the resource is the involvement of whole communities. The degree to which this is achieved can be assessed with reference to signs such as the attitude of the resource users, the participation of the community in management, the relationship of fishers with money-lenders and market intermediaries, and a reduction in the degree of pollution deriving from the community. These can be used as indicators to monitor trends in the use of fisheries resources in this and similar regions.