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Coastal and marine ecosystems are amongst the most productive ecosystems in the world and provide many services to human society; however, many of these ecosystems have become degraded. Food provisioning in the form of fisheries catch is one of the most important services derived from coastal and marine ecosystems. With more than a billion people relying on fish as their main or sole source of animal protein, fisheries in developing countries are a particularly important source of protein. Fisheries and fish products provide direct employment to 38 million people, with a further 162 million people indirectly involved in the fisheries industry (FAO 2004). The state of industrial fisheries is of concern as many people depend on their existence for food and employment, with many fisheries being overexploited. Aquaculture is the fastest growing food producing sector, accounting for 30% of total fish consumption.

Fiji is one of the wealthiest countries in the South Pacific, partly because of its extensive marine resources, which provide important services such as protein from fishing and income from tourism. The country is made up of approximately 844 volcanic islands and is dominated by the Viti Levu and Vanua Levu platforms which account for 87% of the total land area (Vuki et al., 2000). Fiji has a moderate tropical climate and hence reefs are well developed around all of the islands.