Our policy briefs are an attempt to share beneficial lessons that are learnt from local practice or from research, to many more people within Asia-Pacific and to enable people, institutions and policy makers to use new tools and mechanisms which support aquatic resources management in ways that benefit the livelihoods of people who are poor. 

In the Asia-Pacific region national government support to aquatic resources management has tended to focus mainly on research and technology development. However, as we accept an increasingly important role for national fisheries administrations in poverty alleviation, we need to consider the choices that people make, the resources they can command and the circumstances in which they can be woven into supporting livelihoods. This means understanding more about people's livelihoods, resources, context, vulnerabilities and objectives.

Consensus-building techniques are particularly appropriate when decision-making is required in a political or emotional environment, or when the decisions affect strong factions with opposing preferences. It can work formally or informally, in large or small group contexts, assisting in reaching agreement on policy change proposals, involving people that are recipients of policy, implementers of policy, shapers of policy and policy makers in defined roles with a process to give people a voice.

The stories that fishers and farmers tell us about their lives can give us a deeper understanding of the realities of their experiences. They can help policy-makers to build an understanding of the aspirations and complex livelihood strategies of poor people and disadvantaged or marginalised groups. A consensus-building process is a way of providing a space where people can tell their stories, so that policies can be improved to better support poor people's needs.

This policy brief aims to promote better management of aquaculture-based fisheries enhancements (stocking of hatchery fish to improve fisheries) through integrated analysis of enhancement systems and quantitative assessment of management practices through use of the EnhanceFish decision tool.

This report provides insight into the status of the marine ornamental fish trade in the Philippines, including policy environment, collection, distribution channels, markets and constraints. The report also reviews the livelihoods of poor stakeholders in market chains including economic and financial aspects, natural and physical resources, livelihood patterns, social structures. The report provides recommendations for policy makers and stakeholders in improving the livelihoods of poor stakeholders in marine ornamental fish collection and market chains and resource management.

These are the proceedings of two Workshops on Capacity Building for Situation Analysis of Mangroves Ecosystem and Communities, held in Hanoi and Nam Dinh, 4-8 December 2006. The workshop focused on developing the knowledge and skills of the VNU team in Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis through the application of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques. The workshops were funded under the European Union Mangrove Project (2005-2008) in preparation for commencement of field-based activities and situation analysis.

In this issue: Policy development as a theme and policy briefs as a genre. Decriminalising Cambodian family-scale fishers through a livelihoods approach to law reform. Longer pond leases in Orissa. One-stop Aqua Shop - a "one-window delivery" service center for aqua-farmers and fishers. Fisheries and aquaculture policy formulation process in Pakistan. Improving the international marine ornamental fish trade to sustain and improve the livelihoods of poor people involved in the trade. About the STREAM Journal. About STREAM.

This story comes from Lake Keenjhar near Thatta town Sindh Province in Pakistan. It contrasts the lives of women in the fishing village of Chilya with the life of an influential business man with a fish farm on the opposite side of the highway.

Self-recruiting species are defined as aquatic animals that can be harvested from farmer managed aquatic systems without regular stocking. This may include indigenous or introduced, small or larger species. Identified self-recruiting species in the Red River Delta includes exotic species (tilapia), large (snakehead, walking catfish and river catfish) and small (Anabas and Carassius auratus) indigenous fish species and non-fish species (freshwater shrimp and crabs).