Rapid Rural Appraisal, or RRA, is a repertoire of rapid approaches to collecting information and identifying problems. It is increasingly being used by development agencies, government departments and non-government organisations (NGOs ) the world over to learn about conditions 'in the field'. Until now, it has most frequently been applied in agricultural communities and rural areas (thus, Rapid Rural Appraisal). However, as it gains acceptance, it is being used in a wider range of situations and conditions. It has been used to find out more about urban communities and to look at problems outside the agricultural sector, in such areas as forestry, health, nutrition, family planning and small industry development. Until now, RRA techniques have rarely been applied, in a systematic way, in coastal communities and, in particular, in the fisheries sector. But, interestingly, some of the techniques which make up the RRA approach are already in use by individuals or groups involved in fisheries development. Many people working in fisheries development also have their own techniques for collecting information and arriving at conclusions which could and should be included in the RRA repertoire. What has been lacking so far are attempts to use RRA systematically in looking at fishing communities, their way of life and livelihood, and the coastal ecosystems in which they live