This paper presented at the 27th session of the COFI, argues that more attention should be given to social issues in small-scale fisheries. Fishing communities often lack awareness, opportunity and cohesive social institutions to be able to self-organise, articulate their demands, negotiate with government agencies and actively participate in the planning of their own future. Poverty, vulnerability and low levels of social development compromise the ability of small-scale fishers to adopt responsible fishing practices and participate in co-management and community-based fisheries management regimes. Social development issues can be addressed through various sectoral policies relating to education, health, social insurance and others. A human rights perspective provides an overarching approach to addressing social development which has been widely adopted in the UN system.