Abstract

Sound policy decisions in coastal areas require that coastal managers have objective and timely information on the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of the policy and program alternatives being considered. Effective decision making also calls for periodic assessments of the impact of socio-economic and environmental conditions in order to identify the fishery activities, coastal communities, and families experiencing economic stress. Developing the capabilities to deliver this information requires procedures and methods that allow realistic and timely monitoring of socioeconomic impacts. This research project intended to develop a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) applicable to fishery communities in the north coast of Honduras. By using multiplier analyses techniques, it was possible to explore the impacts of projected policy changes, in this case the possible disclosure of industrial lobster fishing, on fishing communities in the Miskito region. Using a representative sample, seven different types of households were identified for the creation of the Village SAM. The Village SAM allowed us to simulate the possible lobster foreclosure in the socioeconomic and environmental circumstances of the area and to analyze the impacts of these changes on the different types of households.

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