Increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security

The objective of this paper is to highlight the contribution that inland and coastal small-scale fisheries can make to poverty alleviation and food security and to make practical suggestions on ways that this contribution can be maximised.

In particular the paper discusses:

• the concepts of poverty, vulnerability and food security, and how these concepts have evolved in recent years within the field of fisheries
  
• the actual and potential contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security - with example of the role that small-scale fisheries can play in economic growth at the national level, and poverty alleviation and rural development at the local level
  
• ways of increasing the contribution of small-scale fisheries to poverty alleviation and food security through a series of entry points. This revisits conventional fisheries policies and legislation and makes suggestions on how those can be made more pro-poor. It emphasises the importance of capacity building and highlights how cross-sectoral interventions can greatly improve the livelihoods of fish-dependent communities.

The authors go on to propose a series of broad pro-poor or pro-small-scale fisheries principles and discuss in greater detail:

•  the main management instruments adopted in fisheries
• markets and how to make them work for the poor
• pro-poor financing systems and subsidies
• the information, research agenda and communication strategies that are needed to complement or support other interventions.