Improving Our Knowledge on Small-scale Fisheries: Data Needs and Methodologies

Small-scale fisheries contribute to food security, nutrition, livelihoods, and local and national economies. The hard data is often limited, however, and small-scale fisheries tend to be overlooked and marginalized in policy processes, leading to low levels of support for the sector. The Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, adopted by FAO's Committee on Fisheries in 2014, provide an integrated policy framework to ensure the sustainability for small-scale fisheries. This publication explains the type of data needed to secure the support of policy makers and lead to successful transformation.