Towards a better understanding of conflict management in tropical fisheries: evidence from Ghana, Bangladesh and the Caribbean

This paper explores the nature of conflict and how institutional failure may be a primary cause of conflict over natural resources. Typologies for studying conflicts are reviewed and a typology specific to tropical fishery conflicts is proposed. Using data from three tropical fisheries, it shows how conflicts emerge and how they are managed. 1 1 Research was conducted as part of the research project The Management of Conflict in Tropical Fisheries (R7334) funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) through the Fisheries Management Science Programme. The views expressed in this paper are not necessarily those of DFID. The paper concludes that local level management of conflict can be successful, but, without proactive support from higher levels of government the underlying causes of conflict are unlikely to be removed in the long term.