guttatus),

known locally as crayfish [35]). Tourism dominates Anguilla’s economy and generates over 70% of the island’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employment opportunities [36]. The tourist season in Anguilla is highly seasonal; the official tourist season runs from December to April, with peak tourist arrivals during December, March and April [34]. Since the late 1970s, Anguilla has developed into an upmarket beach tourist destination, and is renowned for its pristine white sand beaches [26]. The rapidly expanding luxury tourism industry on the island has also created a growing demand for seafood products such as lobster, in addition to the high demand for reef fish among the local population [35]. Evidently, the fishing industry has become an important contributor to the island’s economy, currently employing an estimated 5% of the selleck inhibitor population (c. 400 individuals); although the vast majority fish part-time [27]. Interviews were conducted

between February and April 2008, with 24 fishers from the six main harbours and 13 marine tourist operators (see Fig. 1). The fishers that were interviewed all relied on fishing coral reefs for all or part of their income, targeting the inshore reef fishery for reef fish and/or shellfish using fish or lobster traps (hereafter called traps) and hand-lines. The 13 marine-based tourist operators included all of the dive shops (n=3), glass-bottom boat (n=2), beach hire (n=1) and boat LBH589 charter companies (n=4) as well as the three inshore tourist destinations with on-site restaurants on the island ( Fig.

1). Respondents were interviewed on the basis of recommendations from key informants (senior representatives from the Anguilla Department for Fisheries and Marine Resources (DFMR), and experienced local fishers), and through snowball sampling (whereby respondents recommended further potential interviewees [37]). Interviews with fishers and tourist operators consisted of a series of (a) structured closed questions to generate quantitative data on demographic variables and (b) open-ended, semi-structured questions to provide qualitative information on fishing practices and livelihood strategies, perceptions of marine ecosystem health and environmental change. Information on the impacts of previous hurricanes in Thiamine-diphosphate kinase Anguilla was gathered specifically as hurricanes are a particularly prevalent environmental stressor in the Caribbean. Interviews were tape-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Responses to open-ended questions were manually coded and analysed using an ‘open coding’ method [38], in which similarities and differences in responses to questions are assessed. Conceptually similar responses or opinions were grouped together into ‘categories’ which were defined using a common theme. This method ensures that the response themes directly reflect the issues that emerged from the interviews.