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A review of the special management areas in Tonga

Year of publication 2017

Pages 54 p.

Author Robert Gillett

Product type Book (stand-alone)

ISBN 978-92-5-109761-8

Series title FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular

Series number C1137

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) During the 20th century all Tongans have had equal access to the coastal fishery resources of the country and a centralised fisheries management approach. In the mid-1990s, the community-based management concept gained momentum and in the early 2000s a change in Tonga’s fisheries legislation allowed for fisheries management by local communities, through Special Management Areas (SMAs). This document contains the review of the SMA program ten years out from initiation. The review includes key rec ommendations for the improvement of the program based on visits to communities in Vava'u, Ha'apai, and Tongatapu, and discussions with Ministry of Fisheries officials in Nuku’alofa.

Language English

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