A survey of fisherfolk in the Indian state of West Bengal shows that relief measures for natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic must take into account long-standing vulnerabilities. The two most important concepts to set the agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) are ‘social development’ and ‘sustainable management’. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has been the key player in raising awareness and providing guidance on sustainable aquaculture development and management, as stated in the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, laid down in 1995. Almost two decades later, in 2015, FAO introduced the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guildelines).