The nature of small-scale fisheries is frequently described as complex. This complexity is particularly
true for the least developed countries, such as Yemen, in which natural resources management is
challenged by rapid population growth, high unemployment rates, and chronic underdevelopment. This
study presents the current fisheries management regime and analyzes its components to examine how
appropriate the current strategy is in addressing conservation needs while sustaining the socioeconomic
benefits obtained from fisheries. The weak enforcement and low compliance and the
widespread illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, suggest the need to restructure the fisheries
management system. Moreover, for any future policy reforms, it will be necessary to consider
introducing appropriate anti-corruption measures and policies to improve transparency and accountability.
The fishery managers need also to adopt the precautionary approach widely, using the best
available information, until results from research become available.