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.

To achieve this, capacity must be built to understand livelihoods approaches and analysis in development contexts. This means understanding more about people's livelihoods, resources, context, vulnerabilities and objectives.

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