Natural resources research
id21 is the free development research reporting service, bringing you UK-sourced research on developing countries

Challenges for the fisheries sector
Fisheries and aquaculture play a significant role in many developing countries, providing export opportunities, livelihood options and a source of food. But the ever-increasing demands on fisheries and fishery workers can cause a range of social and environmental problems. This month, id21 looks at the challenges and opportunities facing the fisheries sector.

Articles in this issue
Trading fish for sex in sub-Saharan Africa
Many women in developing countries earn a living from small-scale fisheries activities, especially from processing and trading fish. But in Africa, there have been increasing reports of male fishers exchanging fish for sex with female traders.

Environmental damage threatens prawn farming in Bangladesh
South-west Bangladesh is densely populated and most families are poor. Freshwater prawn farming is an important source of income. In recent years, the high demand for prawns overseas has greatly increased local earnings. However, productivity is lower than in other exporting countries, such as Vietnam. Extensive prawn production is also creating environmental issues, such as overharvesting of species.

Grouper aquaculture and livelihood security in Thailand
Many fishing practices occur on a large scale, causing environmental destruction. The small-scale farming of high-value fish has been suggested as an alternative, but does aquaculture (fish farming) play the same role in livelihoods as conventional fishing? And do poorer households really benefit from aquaculture?

Realising the potential of African aquaculture
Despite 40 years of research, development and investment, aquaculture in Africa is struggling to realise its high potential. African governments need to remove the constraints to aquaculture, and encourage economically viable commercial investments in the sector, to encourage growth.

Changing environmental perceptions in Chile through fisheries co-management
A major factor in the success or failure of a conservation policy is how resource users perceive the policy. In fisheries management, co-management policies actively include resource users (fishers) as participants. What effect does this have on their environmental perceptions?

How can people resolve conflicts over natural resources?

Tourism: more harm than good?

Mining and development