The preparation of this study was advanced under the overall coordination of M. Chipeta (Chief, Policy Coordinating Service, Policy Assistance Division and Focal Point for NEPAD) and the technical leadership of T. Tshibaka (Senior Policy Officer, Policy Coordinating Service, Policy Assistance Division), with the support of Y. Mao (consultant). The author wishes to acknowledge the great value of the interactions with the coordinators, especially when determining the outline and methodology of the study. Their helpful suggestions and comments on various drafts led to a substantial improvement of the study. The author is also very grateful for the assistance with data gathering and documentation, as well as the revision of the study from colleagues, including F. Carocci and A. Manjarrez (Fisheries Resources Division), U. Wijkstrom (Fishery Policy and Planning Division), CTS Nair (Forestry Policy and Planning Division) and G. Boedeker (Global Perspectives Studies Unit, Economic and Social Department).
Special thanks are due to M. Beaton (consultant) for the editorial efforts to improve both the fluency and the layout of the document. Also, the guidance given to her by M. Criscuolo and R. Tucker (Information Division) is greatly appreciated.