The lacunae in fishing-community engagement in the management and governance of marine and coastal protected areas (MCPAs) were discussed in the 2009 Chennai Workshop organized by the ICSF.  The workshop reviewed existing legal and institutional mechanisms for creating, implementing and reporting MCPAs in India, and discussed their impact from the perspective of environmental justice and human rights and made specific proposals based on good practices for in-situ conservation of marine and coastal biodiversity, poverty eradication, and economic and social development of small-scale, artisanal fishing communities in India.