Using sustainability indicators to manage fisheries: experiences on the Bay of Bengal

Experience in the fisheries of the Bay of Bengal has demonstrated that a ke y factor in the sustainability of the resource is the involvement of whole communities. The degree to which this is achieved can be assessed with refe rence to signs such as the attitude of the resource users, the participatio n of the community in management, the relationship of fishers with money-le nders and market intermediaries, and a reduction in the degree of pollution deriving from the community. These can be used as indicators to monitor tr ends in the use of fisheries resources in this and similar regions.