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S  O C I A L W  E L L-  B E I N G & G  O V E R N A N C E I  N D I C A T O R S

ECONOMY

Conservation Objective

Sustainably manage marine resources such that they contribute to human well-being by providing

economic opportunities based on fishing, tourism and supporting industries.

Threats

Overfishing, environmental degradation, poor environmental regulation and planning, increased

population growth and coastal development, and inadequate investment in education and social

programs negatively impact local and regional economic viability.

Management Actions

· Strengthen the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process for reviewing ecological impacts

of coastal developments, and encourage sustainable development and minimization of damage

associated with coastal development.

· Work with local, regional and national government agencies to encourage the use of tourism tax

revenues to support equitable social and ecological programs.

· Continue to monitor the percentage of the population engaged in marine-related activities.

· Implement and enforce fishing regulations to ensure the economic viability of fisheries and

marine-based livelihoods.

· Encourage policymakers to adopt an integrated coastal zone management approach and to

include environmental resources as an important asset in economic planning and cost-benefit

analyses for coastal developments.

· Improve employment opportunities for women, access to education and health care, and

conservation of cultural values and other elements that support a high quality of life.

· Investigate the relationships among adjusted net savings index and the condition of marine

resources and management effectiveness.

people are on reef ecosystems, how human activities

Economic viability in the MAR region relies greatly

are impacting reef ecosystem health, and how the

on the quality and availability of coastal marine

condition of reef resources are affecting the social

resources. Economic activity is a powerful driving force

well-being and livelihoods of people. Some indicators

that exerts both positive and negative influences on

provide feedback at the local community level, while

reef health. The ecoregion's major economic activities

others show how national and regional economies

include tourism, agriculture, fishing, aquaculture and

influence how people use marine resources.

manufacturing, most of which are largely dependent

on maintaining a healthy reef ecosystem. With

Increases in gross domestic product (GDP), for

population growth and coastal development projected

example, may signal economic progress for a

to increase in the MAR region, the unsustainable

developing country, but it may also signal escalating

use and unregulated extraction of marine resources

pressure on natural ecosystems, as environmental

may be expected to increase as well--with increasing

costs continue to be externalized. Much attention has

negative economic impacts on local communities.

been given to the impact of high poverty on ecosystem

Thus, in order to sustain strong national and local

health, but increased wealth and development may

economies in the MAR region, we must maintain reef

also lead to greater ecological disruption. While

ecosystem health.

income derived from marine-related activities may or

may not negatively impact the ecosystem, the wealth

The economic indicators presented here examine the

they create may not reach the most impoverished

economic role and importance of marine resources

sections of society.

for coastal communities in the Mesoamerican region.

These indicators help us understand how dependent

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