times as valuable as other fish. Interviews indicate that there are some 3400 women who actively fish and market 

 freshwater prawns ("crevettes") in the Campo-Ma'an buffer zone. At present, the estimated total revenue accruing 

 to people in the area is about $3.4 million per year for a volume of approximately 1,140 tons. The vast majority of 

 the crustaceans caught and traded is Macrobrachium vollenhovenii, the largest crustacean species in the area. 

 It is clear that the aquatic animal resources of rainforests are already important for forest communities, although 

 their significance could possibly be even greater. There is a need to better understand the biological and 

 socioeconomic dynamics of these resources to develop strategies for optimal sustainable management to the 

 benefit of all. 



Acknowledgements 

 This work was supported in part by the Conservation Trust of the National Geographic Society. 



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