Considering the protection of the ecosystems of the marine environment of the wider Caribbean region to be one of their principal objectives.” 21. The living resources of the Caribbean are the main source of the services that this environment provides for the inhabitants of its coasts and, particularly, of its islands. 22. As already indicated, one of those services is fishing, which contributes to the well-being of the inhabitants of the region in different ways. First, fishing plays a very important role for the food security of the Caribbean Region, because fish is a vital source of animal protein and minerals in the diet of the inhabitants of this region, particularly, the poorest and most vulnerable sectors. Second, fishing makes a significant contribution to the trade balance of the Caribbean Region, as regards imports and exports. Lastly, and most importantly, fishing contributes to the well-being and quality of life of the inhabitants of the Wider Caribbean Region by generating hundreds of thousands of jobs – both directly (the fishermen), and by means of all the fishingrelated activities (boatbuilding, netmaking, fish processing, etc.), on which the inhabitants depend for their subsistence. 12 23. The importance of fishing for the well-being and quality of life of the inhabitants of the coasts and islands of the Wider Caribbean Region has been recognized by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food as follows: “3. Fisheries contribute to food security through two pathways: directly, by providing fish for people, especially low-income consumers, to eat, thereby improving both food availability and the adequacy of diets; and indirectly, by generating income from the fisheries sector. […] 4. […] Fish consumption, and dependency on fish, can be much higher in island and coastal countries, and in countries with large freshwater lakes and rivers. […] 6. The fisheries sector can contribute to the realization of the right to food by providing employment and income and sustaining local economies. Globally, 54.8 million people are engaged in capture fisheries and aquaculture and approximately three times as many are involved in upstream and downstream activities (e.g. fish processing, selling, netmaking and boatbuilding).” 13 24. Furthermore, the Caribbean is universally considered to be a tourist destination, popular owing precisely to the appeal of its marine resources. It has even been considered that, worldwide, the insular Caribbean is the region most dependent on tourism. 14 Consequently, the tourism sector has become a fundamental source of the well-being, economic growth and development of the coastal communities of the Caribbean, through the generation of employment 12 Ibid. pp. 22-23. 13 General Assembly, United Nations, “Provisional report of the Special Rapporteur on the right to food,” A/67/268, 8 August 2012, pp. 4-5. 14 Annex II, p. 28. 21