A large proportion of fish stocks around the world, including those targeted by small-scale fisheries in developing countries, are either fully exploited or overexploited. As a result, potential nutritional, income, and employment benefits are already being lost and failure to introduce effective fisheries management systems will almost inevitably lead to further losses of benefits and make recovery all the more problematic.

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In the inland fisheries of many countries women are engaged in fishing and are taking a leading role in the rapid growth of aquaculture. They own and manage fishing boats and have their own fishing gear. In aquaculture, women often carry out most of the work of feeding, harvesting and processing fish and shellfish. Compared with men, however, women often face more problems related to technology, finance for enterprise expansion, and transport.

Fisheries management is potentially of great importance to the goal of enhancing the role of small-scale fisheries in poverty alleviation and food security. Improved management practices can contribute to this goal both directly, through increasing the share of the benefits that accrue to small-scale fishers, and indirectly, through increasing the overall benefits that accrue to society.

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