A seminar was held on 24th-25th October 2006 on board the Norwegian coastal steamer “Trollfjord” while sailing from Trondheim to Bergen. The topic was “Marine Protected Areas (MPA) – a useful tool in fisheries management? Challenges and experiences from developing countries”. The seminar was arranged by the Norwegian Fishery Forum for Development Cooperation and funded by Norad. The purpose for the seminar was to debate different views and raise awareness about the role of MPAs in relation to fisheries management. After the seminar, the organising committee held a meeting and requested Ian Bryceson and Julius Francis to produce a book based upon the papers presented from and relevant to developing countries (although presentations were also made about Norwegian experiences with MPAs, it was decided to focus the book upon developing countries only). Later additional funding for this purpose was applied for and granted by Norad, and the respective authors were requested to revise their presentations into papers in a publishable format for the book.
