This study illustrates a recent movement of non-fishers (miners, salaried workers and non-fish traders) into fishing, following reports of high profits. The case of Cabuno does therefore support a need to invest in and develop alternative opportunities outside of fishing; prior to developing restrictions over ‘who is or is not’ allowed to fish [64]. Finally, with considerable industrial-scale fishing occurring all along the mainland coast, the importance of the Bijagós Islands as a regional ‘entry-point’ into SSF and a location where prosperous SSF activities PI3K inhibitor review are still possible, has increased through time. This generates

a very specific fisheries management problem. Prices for boat-ownership certificates and fishing licence documents are considerably higher in Guinea-Bissau (and the Bijagós archipelago) for non-nationals

(in-migrant) when compared to national (or local) citizens [47]. Raf inhibitor In ecological terms therefore, fish-stocks, biodiversity and ecosystem integrity may be threatened by uncontrolled SSF activity in this region; but in economic terms, the presence of these ‘foreign’ commercial SSF is highly prized. Unfortunately, with Guinea-Bissau׳s reputation for corruption, political violence, poor governance and weak institutional capacity, it seems highly unlikely that any resource-rent captured from SSF, in pursuit of a ‘wealth-based’ management strategy can or will be appropriately redistributed [14]. With severe political, climatic and economic uncertainties facing this West African region any prospects for non-fisheries development programmes appear bleak. With this in mind, an alternative governance trajectory might instead reflect upon the labour-intensiveness of SSF; developing effective strategies which focus upon poverty alleviation for example by improving health-care, insurance, education, infrastructure, access

check to land, micro-credit, communication and political free-will; while reducing susceptibility to accidents and HIV or AIDs-related illnesses within SSF communities [88], [7], [5] and [75]. While it is acknowledged that welfare approaches to fisheries management are not without fault; findings from this region suggest that any pursuit of wealth-based measures could be hugely catastrophic for those whose livelihoods depend upon SSF [14]. To conclude, West Africa׳s resources have for many years been misappropriated with resounding severe consequences incurred by millions [22], [3] and [23]. It is here argued that investing in misguided access-restrictions under the guise of wealth-based management would be akin to renewing this cycle.