The role of the fishing port may be considered as the interface between the netting of fish and its consumption. In today's world of increased environmental awareness, a fishing port must be planned, designed and managed in harmony with both the physical and biological coastal environments. At each stage of the process, whether it is planning, design or management, both technical and non-technical persons become involved in the process. This manual was produced in order to tackle fishing harbours in a holistic approach. It should be of use to both technical and non-technical planners, both at government level and at departmental level. It provides non-engineering staff within such departments with enough technical knowledge to better understand certain basic design requirements, which could otherwise be interpreted as superfluous and not cost effective.