Data for: Evaluating conditions for MFAD fisheries development in the Caribbean and Bermuda

Moored fish aggregating devices (MFADs) are promoted in small-scale
fisheries around the world as tools to increase fisher incomes, enhance
food security, and ease pressure on degraded inshore fisheries. Despite
their growing popularity, the biophysical and socioeconomic contexts in
which MFAD fisheries are implemented - and the implications of these
contexts for MFAD fishery success - remain poorly understood. Here we
develop a framework identifying and evaluating factors likely to influence
MFAD fishery outcomes and apply it across states in the insular Caribbean
region. We highlight the heterogeneity in MFAD regulatory strength, catch
marketability, social need, and costs among states and discuss best
approaches for optimizing MFAD benefits across different socioeconomic
scenarios.