This report is the result of a two month research project initiated by the Danish Society for a Living Sea. The study focuses on the body of social science literature that discusses small-scale versus large-scale fisheries worldwide, alongside reports from NGOs, international agencies and government bodies. There were also two field studies, at Tamil Nadu, India and at Ghana, Africa. The study focuses on the role of fishing people, fishing communities, fishing nations and fishing corporations in relation to achieving the millennium development goals, especially 1,3 and 7 which deal with poverty eradication, empowerment of women and ensuring environmental sustainability. The study found that labour intensity is a solution, rather than a problem in the fisheries. While fishing communities are among the poorest, small scale livelihoods are sustained and prevent people from falling deeper into deprivation. Small scale fisheries not only feed themselves but also the coastal areas and the hinterland. Fisheries promote gender equality and empower women, specifically in the post-harvest sector.