The fishing trade is of huge importance to the livelihoods of many communities in the coastal parts of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia

The increasing demand from affluent consumers in China for live reef fish such as coral trout and other types of groupers has driven up the price of these species dramatically

Some groups blame fishers for lacking far-sightedness and for not regulating their fisheries effectively, but these communities are concerned chiefly with putting daily food on the table

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