Illuminating the multidimensional contributions of small-scale fisheries

Xavier Basurto (), Nicolas L. Gutierrez (), Nicole Franz, Maria del Mar Mancha-Cisneros, Giulia Gorelli, Alba Aguión, Simon Funge-Smith, Sarah Harper, Dave J. Mills, Gianluigi Nico, Alex Tilley, Stefania Vannuccini, John Virdin, Lena Westlund, Edward H. Allison, Christopher M. Anderson, Andrew Baio, Joshua Cinner, Michael Fabinyi, Christina C. Hicks, Jeppe Kolding, Michael C. Melnychuk, Daniel Ovando, Ana M. Parma, James P. W. Robinson and Shakuntala H. Thilsted
Additional contact information
Xavier Basurto: Duke University
Nicolas L. Gutierrez: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Nicole Franz: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Maria del Mar Mancha-Cisneros: Duke University
Giulia Gorelli: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Alba Aguión: Duke University
Simon Funge-Smith: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Sarah Harper: The University of Victoria
Dave J. Mills: WorldFish
Gianluigi Nico: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Alex Tilley: WorldFish
Stefania Vannuccini: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
John Virdin: Duke University
Lena Westlund: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Edward H. Allison: WorldFish
Christopher M. Anderson: University of Washington
Andrew Baio: University of Sierra Leone
Joshua Cinner: University of Sydney
Michael Fabinyi: University of Technology Sydney
Christina C. Hicks: Lancaster University
Jeppe Kolding: University of Bergen
Michael C. Melnychuk: University of Washington
Daniel Ovando: Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
Ana M. Parma: CONICET
James P. W. Robinson: Lancaster University
Shakuntala H. Thilsted: WorldFish

Nature, 2025, vol. 637, issue 8047, 875-884

Abstract: Abstract Sustainable development aspires to “leave no one behind”1. Even so, limited attention has been paid to small-scale fisheries (SSF) and their importance in eradicating poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Through a collaborative and multidimensional data-driven approach, we have estimated that SSF provide at least 40% (37.3 million tonnes) of global fisheries catches and 2.3 billion people with, on average, 20% of their dietary intake across six key micronutrients essential for human health. Globally, the livelihood of 1 in every 12 people, nearly half of them women, depends at least partly on small-scale fishing, in total generating 44% (US$77.2 billion) of the economic value of all fisheries landed. Regionally, Asian SSF provide fish, support livelihoods and supply nutrition to the largest number of people. Relative to the total capture of the fisheries sector (comprising large-scale and small-scale fisheries), across all regions, African SSF supply the most catch and nutrition, and SSF in Oceania improve the most livelihoods. Maintaining and increasing these multidimensional SSF contributions to sustainable development requires targeted and effective actions, especially increasing the engagement of fisherfolk in shared management and governance. Without management and governance focused on the multidimensional contributions of SSF, the marginalization of millions of fishers and fishworkers will worsen.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08448-z

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