Despite their massive economic and nutritional contributions, small-scale fisheries and aquaculture are often overlooked by policymakers. Drawing on profiles from around the world, researchers at Stanford and other institutions provide a blueprint for tailoring effective policy to this diverse sector.

When the COVID-19 pandemic idled industrial fishing fleets and processing plants last year, many small-scale fisheries and aquaculture operations managed to stay afloat, providing livelihoods for millions of people and sustenance for many more. A new study led by researchers at Stanford and other institutions around the world reveals how the diversity of these artisanal, often family-run businesses makes them not only highly resilient to global shocks such as a pandemic, but also uniquely innovative, equitable and sustainable.