Coastal resources are vital for communities in developing countries, many of whose coastal-dwellers live in severe poverty. These resources also hold significant value for a number of different sectors of the economy, such as mining, fisheries, forestry and tourism, which supply expanding global consumer markets. Although these activities provide opportunities for economic and income growth, global patterns indicate growing levels of economic inequality between the custodians of coastal resources and those who exploit them, as well as an increasing incidence in absolute levels of poverty. ‘Benefit-sharing’ has emerged as a popular term to describe interventions to redress inequalities and thus alleviate poverty.