What WorldFish does in Malaita Province

Abstract

Malaita is known as the most populous province of the Solomon Islands, with high outputs of agricultural produce from its land and significant populations of ‘sea people’ highly reliant on coastal ecosystems for food and livelihoods. As Malaita grows in population and develops economically, it will face increasing pressure on its fisheries and marine resources to feed its population and create sustainable livelihoods. In some areas, fishing pressure has already led to decline of key fish species, and malnutrition remains a problem. Decision-making about local fisheries can often exclude key segments of the population, such as women and youth, while their support is needed to develop and enforce rules for use of marine resources.