The Unemployment Insurance for Small-scale Fishers programme, or “Seguro-Defeso”, is related to one of the fisheries management measures in Brazil, namely the closed fishing season or “Defeso”, which seeks to ensure the conservation of exploited stocks and the sustainability of fishing by restricting the permitted fishing period for certain species. The Seguro-Defeso is intended for small-scale fishers who are impacted by the closed season. It amounts to a minimum wage that is paid as financial compensation during the months of the closed fishing season. For the first time since the benefit was introduced 30 years ago, a study conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), evaluated the socioeconomic impacts of this social protection programme on small-scale fishers and their families.