This document presents an assessment of small-scale fisheries of the Patos Lagoon estuary, Brazil, using a custom-designed fisheries census methodology. Complementary information was sourced from a literature review, secondary data and in-depth semi-structured interviews. The assessment provides a complete picture of the technical, environmental and socio-economic conditions of these fisheries, including information on the number of fishery-dependent people, fishing effort, technologies and practices, trends in production and resource abundance, income and market, livelihood strategies, community-based organizations, formal institutions established by co-management, and the access to public policies. Results obtained in this study contribute to an improved understanding of the current status and vulnerabilities of local small-scale fisheries. Based on these results, the document discusses and recommends strategies
to enhance livelihood security and sustainable use of resources. Lessons learned using the study methodology is presented foreseeing its application and adaptation to assess small-scale lagoon fisheries in other locations.