Side event highlights practical pathways for sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries
Governments, international organizations, civil society and small-scale fisheries representatives gathered today during a side event at the Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management (COFI-FM) to share concrete lessons on advancing sustainable and equitable small-scale fisheries.
The event, titled “Managing marine and inland small-scale fisheries for sustainability and equitable livelihoods: lessons from the implementation of the SSF Guidelines”, focused on translating the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries for Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) into practice.
With approximately 500 million people worldwide depending on small-scale fisheries—representing 90 percent of the global capture fisheries workforce—speakers stressed that sustainability efforts must place fishing communities at the centre of decision-making.
Participatory governance
Presentations highlighted the development of National Plans of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOAs-SSF) as structured, participatory pathways for implementing the SSF Guidelines at country level. Lena Westlund, FAO International Fisheries Analyst, underlined the importance of strengthening fishers’ organizations and ensuring the effective participation of both women and men in governance processes.
Experiences from pilot activities under the Global Initiative on Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) demonstrated how basin-level planning and intersectoral collaboration can help balance competing water uses while safeguarding inland fisheries. The discussion emphasized the need to integrate fisheries considerations into broader water governance frameworks.
Country experiences from Asia-Pacific, Africa and Latin America further illustrated how co-management arrangements—where governments and communities share responsibility for resource stewardship—can improve compliance, enhance trust and deliver better environmental and social outcomes.
A dedicated segment examined how social protection measures can support effective fisheries management by reducing vulnerability and enabling fishers and fish workers to engage in sustainable practices. Speakers highlighted that integrating social dimensions—including gender equality, decent work and social protection—into fisheries policies is essential for achieving durable environmental gains and resilient livelihoods.
Closing the event on behalf of Norway, Kristoffer Krohg Bjørklund, representative of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, emphasized the broader significance of the discussions. “Small-scale fisheries are not only about fish, but about people, livelihoods and communities,” he noted, stressing the need for inclusive governance, secure tenure rights and coordinated action.
The event concluded with a call to strengthen collaboration through the SSF Global Strategic Framework (SSF-GSF) and the upcoming SSF Summit 2026, seen as key opportunities to accelerate collective efforts to advance implementation of the SSF Guidelines worldwide. The side event reaffirmed international commitment to strengthening small-scale fisheries governance grounded in human rights, equity and environmental sustainability.
Co-organized by Sweden, Norway, the World Bank, the Secretariat of the SSF-GSF and Centro Internazionale Crocevia (CIC Global), the Advisory Group of the SSF-GSF, SwedBio, the International Collective in Support of Fishworkers (ICSF), and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
The side event was supported through the project Enhancing Equitable, Climate-Resilient, and Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries through the Implementation of the SSF Guidelines, funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
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