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Investing in African fisheries: building links to the Millennium Development Goals
Author(s) -
Heck Simon,
Béné Christophe,
ReyesGaskin Roberto
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
fish and fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.747
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1467-2979
pISSN - 1467-2960
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-2679.2007.00251.x
Subject(s) - millennium development goals , poverty , context (archaeology) , business , fisheries law , aquaculture , fishery , economic growth , socioeconomic status , resource (disambiguation) , investment (military) , socioeconomic development , fisheries management , environmental planning , environmental resource management , political science , geography , economics , fish <actinopterygii> , politics , fishing , population , biology , computer network , demography , archaeology , sociology , computer science , law
Despite the large economic and social benefits fisheries can offer to address Africa’s development needs, investment in African fisheries and aquaculture has been remarkably low. However, if fisheries and aquaculture are to meet the challenges of technological change, institutional reforms and resource mobilization needed in support of the sector’s development potential, fisheries stakeholders must make the case for investment much more clearly within the context of wider socioeconomic development. In this paper, we argue that the global consensus around the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) offers an important opportunity to pursue this agenda in Africa. In particular the MDGs’ human development focus provides a compelling framework for articulating the comprehensive value of fisheries for poverty reduction and long‐term socioeconomic development. The paper has two objectives. The first is to examine the direct and indirect links between fisheries and the individual MDGs, drawing together findings and lessons learnt from recent African case studies with relevant examples from elsewhere. The second is to translate these findings into recommendations for action in support of improved investments in fisheries aimed at increasing the overall development value of the sector.