Abstract

Lobster fishing (Panulirus argus) is an important economic activity throughout the Caribbean, both as a source of income and employment for the local population as well as foreign exchange for national governments. Sustainable management of lobster fisheries in the Caribbean region is therefore very important for the attainment of national economic and social development goals, as well as for the human well being and livelihoods of individuals and families dependent on these fisheries. The governance arrangements associated with the Caribbean lobster fisheries are found with a varying degree of success; from highly successful in one country to a high degree of overexploitation and near collapse of the fishery in another. Although the economic drivers for overexploitation – notably the high value of lobster on the international market – are identical, not all lobster fisheries appear to be equally affected. This PhD research investigates the differences and similarities in governance arrangements of the lobster fisheries in Belize, Cuba, Nicaragua and Jamaica and the impact thereof on the human well-being of the lobster fishers

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