As understanding of main sites for manta ray observation increases, and fishermen consolidate their services over time, the profile of tourists can vary. At an initial stage, promotion is focused on tourists interested in exploratory trips, with the expectation of incorporating additional offerings as the initiative expands.

• Commitment to participate in these meetings was required; therefore, observed participation constituted a ‘self-selecting’ mechanism to identify which fishermen to be support.
• As strategies for ecotourism are defined together with fishermen, it is important to consider external factors that could influence the project, e.g. conflict between fishermen’s organizations, etc.
• Although in some cases only captains participated in the workshops, it is also important for all crew members to receive training and be aware of the project.

• Initially approaching a wide number of beneficiaries is crucial in order to later identify specific environmental leaders.
• The message is important. Fishermen were most interested in attending a meeting that will clearly provide socioeconomic benefits (e.g. generating additional income through ecotourism) as opposed to only focusing on species conservation.
• Coordination with local fishermen organizations is crucial to make sure fishermen can attend workshops.

For the success of LMMAs, communities must have the lead from establishment to enforcement. It is therefore important to ensure that all groups in the community have agreed to the site proposed to be included as protected area in the network. There is a need to develop more consistent management plans for each site, particularly in the case of recently established conservation areas. Several community management committees lack skills and thus have problems in starting to draft their management plans and also to oversee the management of their protected area. They need capacity and support from LLCTC. Without consistent management plans for each site, there is no accountable oversight and clear representation of regulations for resources harvested or harvesting protocols. Management plans do not need to be in any specific format, but certain principles need to be defined and agreed upon by the whole community.

It is imperative to settle conflicts over land ownership and internal community agreements before beginning the process of LMMA establishment. For the success of LMMAs, communities must have the lead from establishment to enforcement. It is therefore important to ensure that all groups in the community are engaged and agree to engage in the LMMA project.The use of user friendly and easy to operate marine planning software, such as MARXAN is a helpful tool to guide the decision making process. Of course, also other factors must be taken into account.

• Organization - scheduling activities is important.
• Data collection can complement a school class about coastal zone-related topics (geomorphology, geology, biology).
• Data sources should be in a good balance. Local knowledge and stakeholder consultation are necessary.

Local perceptions of what constitutes a “priority” ecosystem service for valuation may differ from that of project developers and researchers. In addition, data constraints may limit the extent of the valuation study. It may thus be necessary to negotiate with locals during the preliminary diagnostics phase what services meet their needs and those of the project, and which can be valued. The wide range of services provided by mangroves and surrounding coastal-marine ecosystems make a full valuation exercise very challenging. Thus, most valuation studies are partial and depend on a set of assumptions and a variety of different methods. Good working relationships with government representatives in charge of data processing and archiving, as well as a solid understanding of the details of the local livelihoods and business models is highly advantageous, which is why a livelihoods study should be conducted in parallel.