Taking Stock of the Status of Implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-scale Fisheries: A Country-level Assessment Framework

In this article, Tetra Tech’s Catherine Courtney, the University of Connecticut’s Robert Pomeroy, and the U.S. Agency for International Development's Stephen Brooks developed and tested an assessment framework and process to assist national and subnational governments to assess progress in meeting the Voluntary Guidelines on Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) SSF Guidelines support the visibility, recognition, and enhancement of the small-scale fisheries sector and promote socially inclusive small-scale fisheries through equitable distribution of fishing rights.

The goal of this framework and process is to simplify the SSF Guidelines into an assessment format and to increase awareness and application of the SSF Guidelines. The authors found that the process can help identify gaps and opportunities to improve management and investment in small-scale fisheries to reduce poverty in fishing communities.