Moreover, given that governance also implies devolution of responsibilities one should expect more private sector involvement in the management of coastal and marine resources, including fisheries, in the future. In a few Caribbean countries, private sector entrepreneurs from the tourist sector have requested from governments lease of marine space to be managed as marine parks for tourism exclusively. However, no attempts have been made so far to implement this aspect of the legislation. Fishery officers, coast guards, and other officers of the peace usually effect the regulation of local fishing activities, often ashore. One of the common reasons for the failure of fishery controls to prevent overfishing is that it is not feasible to implement the monitoring requirements with the available human and material resources.
Many countries lack the capability for extensive enforcement of fishery regulations.
Widely scattered, small-scale rural fisheries are particularly difficult to monitor, and regulations are usually ignored. One of the main purposes of fisheries research is to seek out information for management that can convey legitimacy to decision-making. In pursuit of good governance, Caribbean fisheries administrations have begun to tap into local knowledge and involve the fishing industry in research. Widely disseminating research results and obtaining feedback is part of this process of information exchange, the first step in participatory forms of management. In the Caribbean, most of the fisheries resources are thought to be either fully exploited or overexploited.