Why the Legal Perspective?

This chapter provides a brief history and description of the SSF Guidelines, including their key underlying principlesPrinciples. It emphasizes the role of instruments like these in mobilizing government and nongovernment support for small-scale fisheries. At the same time, challenges in the implementation do exist and need to be overcome. The chapter introduces the book and the case studies included within as illustrations of what these challenges are and how they are addressed in practice.