Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2019

Viability and Sustainability of Small-Scale Fisheries in Latin America and The Caribbean

  • Covers a variety of small-scale fisheries issues in different contexts, from Islands to the continent, offering a wide range of themes that are being discussed by government and non-governmental organizations
  • Case studies offer lessons learned in terms of vulnerability concerns, market dynamics, social capital and institutional and legal frameworks of SSF, which is a priority for many countries in LAC and worldwide; contributing therefore to the implementation of the SSF Guidelines in the region
  • Contributors to the book are experts and specialists from different disciplines within the Latin America and the Caribbean region who have an extensive experience working in the region

Part of the book series: MARE Publication Series (MARE, volume 19)

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (23 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
  2. Introduction

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1
    2. Big Questions About Sustainability and Viability in Small-Scale Fisheries

      • Ratana Chuenpagdee, Silvia Salas, María José Barragán-Paladines
      Pages 3-13
    3. Overview of Small-Scale Fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Challenges and Prospects

      • Mirella de Oliveira Leis, María José Barragán-Paladines, Alicia Saldaña, David Bishop, Jae Hong Jin, Vesna Kereži et al.
      Pages 15-47
  3. Issues, Challenges and Threats

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 49-49
    2. Cooperation, Competition, and Attitude Toward Risk of Small-Scale Fishers as Adaptive Strategies: The Case of Yucatán, Mexico

      • Silvia Salas, Oswaldo Huchim-Lara, Citlalli Guevara-Cruz, Walter Chin
      Pages 101-123
    3. Drivers of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Coastal Fishing Communities of Tabasco, Mexico

      • Octavio Tolentino-Arévalo, Marianna Markantoni, Alejandro Espinoza-Tenorio, Maria Azahara Mesa-Jurado
      Pages 125-147
  4. Monitoring, Management and Conservation

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 149-149
    2. From Fishing Fish to Fishing Data: The Role of Artisanal Fishers in Conservation and Resource Management in Mexico

      • Stuart Fulton, Arturo Hernández-Velasco, Alvin Suarez-Castillo, Francisco Fernández-Rivera Melo, Mario Rojo, Andrea Sáenz-Arroyo et al.
      Pages 151-175
    3. Assessing and Managing Small-Scale Fisheries in Belize

      • Rod Fujita, Amy Tourgee, Ramon Carcamo, Lawrence Epstein, Todd Gedamke, Gavin McDonald et al.
      Pages 177-195
    4. The Challenge of Managing Amazonian Small-Scale Fisheries in Brazil

      • Priscila F. M. Lopes, Gustavo Hallwass, Alpina Begossi, Victória J. Isaac, Morgana Almeida, Renato A. M. Silvano
      Pages 219-241
  5. Socio-Economic, Markets and Livelihoods

    1. Front Matter

      Pages 265-265
    2. Socioeconomic Monitoring for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Lessons from Brazil, Jamaica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines

      • Peter Edwards, Maria Pena, Rodrigo Pereira Medeiros, Patrick McConney
      Pages 267-293
    3. The Contribution of Small-Scale Fisheries to Food Security and Family Income in Chile, Colombia, and Peru

      • Javier Villanueva García Benítez, Alejandro Flores-Nava
      Pages 329-352

About this book

One of the main goals in fisheries governance is to promote viability and sustainability in small-scale fishing communities. This is not an easy task given external and internal pressure, including environmental change and competition with other economic sectors searching for development in the coastal region. A comprehensive understanding of small-scale fisheries in their own context, and from a regional perspective, is an important step in supporting the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines). This book contributes to the global effort by offering knowledge, insights and lessons about small-scale fisheries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The 20 case studies included in the book make explicit the various dimensions that are intrinsic to small-scale fisheries in the region, and identify conditions and situations that affect the wellbeing of fishing communities. The book offers insights regarding the challenges faced by small-scale fisheries in the region, and, aligning with the objectives of the SSF Guidelines, provides lessons and experiences about how to make small-scale fishing communities viable while maintaining sustainable fisheries.


This important book illustrates the complexity, diversity, and dynamics of small-scale fisheries in the Latin American and Caribbean region and presents experiences, tools, and approaches to lead towards sustainable and viable fisheries. The reader will gain a new understanding on the range of actions, approaches, and information needed for their successful management.

John F. Caddy, International Fisheries Expert

This book, prepared by the Too Big To Ignore partnership, constitutes a very valuable resource for policy makers, fisheries scientists, non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and fishing communities interested in putting in place sound management strategies, research, and actions to contribute to the sustainability of small-scale fisheries and food security in Latin America and the Caribbean region.

Juan Carlos Seijo, Professor of Fisheries Bioeconomics at Marist University of Merida


Editors and Affiliations

  • Marine Resources Department, Cinvestav Mérida, Mérida, Mexico

    Silvia Salas

  • Development and Knowledge Sociology-Social Science Department, Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT), Bremen, Germany

    María José Barragán-Paladines

  • Department of Geography, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada

    Ratana Chuenpagdee

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access