[Extract] Although the coastal fisheries of the Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) differ considerably from the industrial tuna fisheries of the region (Chapter 8), the importance of coastal fisheries cannot be overstated. Throughout the tropical Pacific, coastal fisheries contribute significantly to the food security, livelihoods, and culture of both rural communities and urban populations. In the majority of PICTs, fish consumption by coastal communities exceeds 50 kg per person per year, and is > 90 kg per person per year in six PICTs. In comparison, average global fish consumption per person is 16–18 kg per year.\ud
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Not surprisingly, therefore, coastal fisheries in the tropical Pacific are based mainly on subsistence activities to provide fish and invertebrates for household food. Nevertheless, an average of 47% of households in fishing communities also earn their first or second income from selling surplus fish and invertebrates caught from coastal and nearshore waters10. Specialised fisheries for coastal invertebrates (e.g. sea cucumbers and trochus) and fish (e.g. groupers and snappers) for export commodities, have also contributed substantially to national income and local livelihoods over the years. The only parts of the tropical Pacific where coastal fisheries do not help underpin food security and livelihoods are the inland areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG), Solomon Islands and Fiji (Chapter 10). The significance of coastal fisheries is demonstrated by the total contributions of subsistence and commercial catches to gross domestic product (GDP) across the region; together, they are estimated to be worth USD 272 million. This is considerably higher than the USD 200 million derived from locally-based industrial tuna fleets
