About FAO News Multimedia Main topics Statistics Members Publications

Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries

in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication
Project | Supporting a Blue Transformation: Empowerment of small-scale fisheries actors

The promotion and celebration of small-scale artisanal fisheries and aquaculture during the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022) raised global awareness and highlighted the significant contributions of the women, men, and youth whose livelihoods depend on these two subsectors. The end of IYAFA 2022 marked the beginning of a new era of support for small-scale fisheries and aquaculture within the context of FAO’s Blue Transformation, including the implementation of the SSF Guidelines.

Within the Blue Transformation vision and in support of the implementation of the SSF Guidelines, this project aims to sustain the momentum for small-scale fisheries, focusing on increasing the capacities of small-scale fisheries organizations to participate in decision-making, manage resources, and access sustainable fisheries.

 

The project includes the following activities:

  • Global SSF Summit 2024: The first SSF Summit took place during IYAFA 2022. The 35th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries in 2022 specifically emphasized the unique opportunity to gather commitments and recommendations at a summit on small-scale fisheries, which is encouraged to be held every two years prior to COFI, subject to resourcing, to sustain and inform continued support for the subsector.
  • Constructive engagement of small-scale fisheries representatives in the global UNFCCC process: Climate change is universally recognized as a major threat to coastal communities, and small-scale fishing communities need a stronger voice to inform the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties and ensure the preservation of their livelihoods.
  • Advancing community-based fisheries management in the Pacific: Community-based fisheries dialogues in the Pacific serve as regular platforms to empower coastal fishing communities to manage their marine resources and improve resilience, food security, and livelihoods. These dialogues need support to implement actions and to share their experiences and lessons learned with the broader global community.

 

 

Funded by