The coastal and marine ecosystems in India consist of various habitats, including estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, backwaters, salt marshes, rocky coasts, sandy stretches, coral reefs, extensive areas under territorial waters, and exclusive economic zones. These ecosystems provide livelihoods for a large portion of the fishing community. According to the Marine Fisheries Census conducted by the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in 2016, approximately 3.77 million fisherfolk were dependent on fish resources. However, it is important to note that fishing communities do not have a role in the designation or management of the protected areas established for these ecosystems. Although Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recommended that at least 10% of the coastal and marine areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services be declared as protected areas and effectively and equitably managed, it is crucial to acknowledge that the same target emphasizes the need for these protected areas to be managed in an inclusive and participatory manner, encompassing innovative conservation measures, and not just traditional ones that are exclusively for conservation and disregard the role of communities. This chapter focuses on the livelihood concerns of the fishing communities and female seaweed collectors in the Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, where even female seaweed collectors have been excluded from seaweed collection. The chapter highlights the concerns of these communities and the existing legal and institutional frameworks.