International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade
Abstract
This paper presents the findings of a field survey carried out within small scale fishing communities on the island of Zanzibar in 2004. The study was designed to assess the impact of the Menai Bay marine protected area on the livelihoods of fishing households located within its boundaries using the sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA) as its basis. The survey finds that although the MPA helped to reduce conflict between fishermen and provided the impetus for establishing a local management framework, pressures on natural resources caused by factors largely outside the control of the MPA management system, may have suppressed some of the biological or economic benefits that the designation could have conveyed
