Mangrove forests are unique and valuable coastal ecosystems which support a range of wildlife and fisheries resources, supply a range of commercial products and provide a number of ecological services (e.g. stabilising shorelines). Despite a greatly increased awareness of the environmental and socio-economic importance of mangrove ecosystems, they continue to be destroyed in many parts of the world. Unless urgent action is taken to implement sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems, they are likely to be irreparably lost with long-term implications for coastal capture fisheries, coastal stability, and the socio-economic conditions of traditional coastal dwellers.
While draft guidelines for sustainable management of mangrove ecosystems have recently been promulgated (Clough, 1993), this paper explores links between the environment, the economy, and society which are intrinsic to the development of any sustainable management policy.