3WSFC: A time for transformation

The voices of small-scale fishers and civil society organizations were loud and clear at the 3rd World Small-Scale Fisheries Congress. By all accounts, the past ten years have been truly exceptional for small-scale fisheries. One of the highlights is the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) by FAO member states in 2014. As the first international instrument specifically designed for small-scale fisheries, the SSF Guidelines give the much-needed visibility to this important sector, calling all parties to promote small-scale fisheries sustainability through a human-rights based approach. The SSF Guidelines set off waves of excitement and optimism about the new era for small-scale fisheries