Abstract:
The first part of this paper describes the nature of the oceans and
human use of the living natural assets therein. It discusses the technology
and institutional arrangements through which coastal communities
interacted with these living resources, and the political economy of the
movement from small-scale to large-scale fishing operations and from
community rights to open access. The second part of the paper examines
the potential of natural asset-building strategies. This draws upon
examples from the Asia-Pacific region to highlight how small-scale,
community-based fishing is both ecologically and economically suited
to make a blessing of the coastal commons that will simultaneously
ensure sustainable natural resource use and community well-being
