The purpose of this paper is to present results from the first five-year phase of a large fisheries co-management research project implemented by the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management (ICLARM) and the Institute of Fisheries Management (IFM), with national partners in Asia and Africa. More specifically, the paper will present results of conditions which affect the success of co-management as identified through the project’s research activities in Asia. The 18 conditions identified as being of high importance for success are grouped into three categories: supra-community level, community level, and individual and household level. While not a comprehensive list, these conditions are meant to serve as a guide in the planning and implementation of comanagement. The conditions must be viewed in the distinct political, biological, cultural, technological, social, and economic context of the Asian region and the individual countries. Resource management systems must be viewed in the context of the complex interactions of these characteristics that have shaped past and present situations and that have a capacity for influencing the future. These characteristics include the small-scale, subsistence-based fisheries, the local community traditions, the social and political structures, the political and economic restructuring that is occurring in the region, and the need for food security. Some of the conditions can be met by means internal to the community, while others require external assistance. The role of the external agent involves initiating a process of discovery and social learning, guiding problem solving, building local capabilities, and advocating appropriate policies. Resource users and stakeholders are largely responsible for the day-to-day management of resources, participation in consultations, design of appropriate resource management measures, and assistance in monitoring and law enforcement. Implementation is often a balancing act to meet these conditions as timing and linkages in the co-management process and arrangements are important.