There is a nascent interest in both how fisheries can contribute to the furthering of human development, and the need for alternative measures of human development. Vanuatu and neighboring countries in Melanesia share high levels of customary land and/or reef tenure systems, dichotomous economies between urban and rural areas, and a wealth of pre-existing or traditional knowledge systems for promoting household food and social security. These conditions provide unique scenarios for exploring alternative human development measures that are not well captured by conventional indicators such as gross national product (GNP), human development index (HDI) or Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These ideas are briefly explored from the perspective of the human development goals of reducing poverty, enhancing education and promoting gender equity, and with the objective of stimulating more interest within the region in the human development value of nearshore fisheries, and developing alternative human development models and measures that better reflect Oceania’s unique characteristics. This paper argues for greater recognition of the value of nearshore fisheries and their inclusion as an important indicator of the human development goals of poverty reduction, education and gender equality.