From dialogue to action: three days advancing small-scale fisheries at the SSF Summit 2026
©FAO/Valerio Muscella
From 4 to 6 September, small-scale fishers and fish workers, Indigenous Peoples, governments, researchers, civil society organizations and other partners came together at FAO Headquarters in Rome for the 3rd Small-Scale Fisheries Summit. Held immediately ahead of the 37th Session of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI37), the Summit provided a space to discuss, exchange experiences and take stock of progress in implementing the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines).
From voices to shared priorities
The SSF Summit opened with a day dedicated to small-scale fisheries actors, creating space for organizations from different regions to share their priorities and experiences. Discussions looked at progress and challenges in putting the SSF Guidelines into practice, the role of small-scale fishers in global governance, and the messages they wanted to bring to COFI.
Discussions also included the reactivation of the Global Strategic Framework in support of the implementation of the SSF Guidelines (SSF-GSF) as a partnership mechanism to strengthen coordination and implementation at the global level. The reactivated SSF-GSF is envisaged to include an Advisory Group bringing together representatives of small-scale fisheries organizations and other key partners; a Friends of the SSF Guidelines mechanism to engage supportive governments; and a knowledge-sharing platform to promote dialogue and exchange with academia and researchers. Together, these elements will provide strategic guidance, support implementation and help ensure that the priorities and perspectives of small-scale fishing communities remain at the heart of the framework.
The day also reinforced the importance of participation. For many participants, implementation is not only about policies and plans, but about ensuring that fishers, fish workers, Indigenous Peoples, women and their organizations have a meaningful role in shaping the decisions that affect them.
From commitments to implementation
On the second day, the conversation moved increasingly towards SSF Guidelines implementation. Regional groups reflected on the state of progress and identified opportunities for stronger cooperation, convergence and exchange of good practices. Practitioners and researchers also shared experiences of what has worked, what remains challenging and where further support is needed.
A recurring message was that implementation needs to reach the national and local levels and respond to the realities of fishing communities. The discussion also highlighted the importance of connecting different forms of knowledge and creating spaces where experiences from the ground can inform policy and, in turn, where policy processes can support action on the ground.
The SSF-GSF can offer an important opportunity in this regard. Participants discussed the role of stronger partnerships, knowledge sharing and collaboration among small-scale fisheries organizations, researchers, NGOs and governments. A renewed framework with a Knowledge Sharing Platform will help strengthen these connections and support collective learning.
From planning to action
The third and last day of Summit started with a High-level ministerial event. Ministers of fisheries from Brazil, Cabo Verde, Indonesia and Madagascar spoke strongly about their commitment to implement the SSF Guidelines and support small-scale fisheries in their countries. Throughout the day, participants underscored the continued importance of small-scale fisheries in national and international policy agendas and reinforced the call to translate the Guidelines into concrete action that supports the livelihoods, food security and resilience of small-scale fishing communities.
The day also constituted a space for government and small-scale fisheries representatives to share their experiences in national and regional implementation, particularly through National or Regional Plans of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries and other relevant approaches.
Closing the day, the SSF-GSF Advisory Group highlighted the connections built across regions and between fishers, Indigenous Peoples, researchers, policymakers and governments. Concrete next steps were outlined, including strengthening the role of the Advisory Group, operationalizing the Friends of the SSF Guidelines, launching the Knowledge Sharing Platform, strengthening capacity-building activities and mapping progress of implementation.
The closing also reflected the importance of dialogue itself. Participants were encouraged to continue getting together across different stakeholders. Both concerns regarding the pace of SSF Guidelines implementation and hopefulness seeing progress made and lessons learned from national and regional efforts were noted.
FAO Assistant Director-General and Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division Manuel Barange formally closed the SSF Summit by emphasizing dialogue, active listening and respect for different views, reaffirming the importance of small-scale fisheries and their contribution to food security and livelihoods.
As participants left FAO Headquarters, the message was both practical and forward-looking. The work continues through national and regional processes, stronger partnerships, renewed global coordination, and continued knowledge exchange.
The 3rd SSF Summit closed with a commitment to carry the conversation forward — from Rome to communities, from dialogue to implementation, and from shared priorities to collective action.
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