A discussion is presented on the important role played by women in the fisheries of El Salvador. Official statistics for El Salvador reveal that very few women fish, approximately 6 per cent; however, observing the daily activities of fishers and the pattern of household involvement in fish production and processing in the country indicates this figure to be very different. Quantitative surveys conducted often fail to capture the gender diversity of the fishing economy. Reference is made to a survey conducted of mangrove households in 1993/94 in El Tamarindo to document the nature and extent of the relationship men and women had with the resource base.