India has taken an important step towards securing sustainable inland small-scale fisheries, with the launch of the development phase of its National Plan of Action for Securing Sustainable Inland Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF Inland). The two-day national workshop, held on 22–23 October ...

World Food Day is celebrated each year on 16 October. This year’s theme was “Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.” Its starting point is closely linked to the right to food: the world already produces enough food to feed everyone, yet access remains deeply unequal. According to The...

FAO is developing a new e-learning course that brings together two closely interconnected priorities for sustainable small-scale fisheries: environmental stewardship and equitable access to resources and services. Expected to be released in early 2027, the course is being developed under the &...

The Fisheries Commission in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) held a workshop on co-management structures and local governance frameworks in Ghana’s inland waters from 23 to 24 June 2026. This activity was carried out under project “

The 37th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI 37), held from 7 to 11 September 2026 at FAO Headquarters in Rome, brought small-scale fisheries (SSF) prominently into discussions on sustainable fisheries, food security, nutrition, livelihoods, climate change and fisheries governance....

FAO experts highlighted the importance of social inclusion, equitable access, small-scale fisheries stewardship, gender equality, and food security and nutrition in fisheries during the 2026 Conference of the International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade (IIFET), held in Tórs...

From 4 to 6 September, small-scale fishers and fish workers, Indigenous Peoples, governments, researchers, civil society organizations and other partners came together at FAO Headquarters in Rome for the 3rd Small-Scale Fisheries Summit. Held immediately ahead of the 37th Session of the Commit...

Le Togo a accueilli la huitième réunion du Groupe de travail sur la pêche artisanale du Comité des pêches pour l’Atlantique Centre-Est (GtPA-COPACE), réunissant des experts, des représentants des gouvernements ainsi que des partenaires techniques et financiers issus d’une vingtaine de pays afr...

As part of the participatory process to develop the National Action Plan for Small-Scale Fisheries (PAN-PPE), under the project "Improving equitable, climate-resilient and sustainable small-scale fisheries through the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines," funded by the Swedish Internati...

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) 2026 report highlights growing global efforts to implement the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF Guidelines), emphasizing that national action is critical to translating the international instrument int...

Small-scale fisheries representatives, governments, development partners, researchers and civil society organizations gathered in Mombasa, Kenya, on 15 June 2026 for the 3rd PROBLUE Global Engagement Forum (PGEF) on Small-Scale Fisheries, Food Security and Biodiversity in the Ocean. The event ...

By Okeloh W’Namadoa¹, Gabriel Muswali² & Peris Khamoga³

Overview of small-scale fisheries and tenure rights in Africa

Small-scale fisheries (SSF) play an important role in food security, job creation fo...

The Fisheries Commission in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) held a workshop on the development and implementation of a National Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries (NPOA-SSF) from 12 to 14 May 2026. 

FAO, under the project,

On 28 and 29 May 2026, members of FAO’s small-scale fisheries team contributed to the Advanced Specialised Course on Sustainable Development of Coastal Communities, a high-level 10-week capacity-building programme organized by CIHEAM Bari. The course aims to strengthen the capacities of ...

Written by Julia Nakamura, Lena Westlund, Ana Suarez Dussan and Rishi Sharma, FAO 

The World Small-Scale Fisheries Congresses (WSSF) set out a transdisciplinary forum to discuss and share knowledge, research, and views in support of small-scale fisheries around the wor...

Written by AWFISHNET Secretariat 

In March 2026, the shores of Lake Victoria became a classroom. From 18 to 20 March, the FAO funded Global Learning Exchange (GLE) brought together over 50 participants from six African countries, Colombia, Malawi, and the Philippines to sha...

The Global Network for Capacity Building to Increase Access of Small-Scale Fisheries to Financial Services (CAFI SSF Network), in collaboration with partners, convened a global webinar on “Fast-tracking insurance for small fishing vessels: an innovative approach.”

The event ...

Africa’s small-scale fisheries play a crucial role in food security and poverty alleviation, yet they face significant challenges from climate change and lack of policy support. At COP30 in Brazil, stakeholders are highlighting their importance and advocating for urgent action.

Stanford University (Stanford, USA) conveyed the workshop "Beyond Illuminating Hidden Harvests: Towards a New Research Agenda in Small-Scale Fisheries" from 14 to16 April 2026. The aim of the workshop was to explore new priority research topics for small-scale fisheries (SSF), as part of the <...

A Global Learning Exchange held in Mwanza from 18 to 20 March 2026 brought together key stakeholders from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to strengthen collaboration, share experiences, and advance the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries (S...