With increasing industrialization in marine sectors driven by a Blue Economy agenda, many regions are transitioning from reliance on small-scale fisheries (SSFs) to reliance on large-scale fisheries (LSFs), a shift that carries significant socioeconomic implications. As common pool resources, SSFs can deliver broad social benefits, including livelihoods, food security, and economic resilience in coastal communities. However, as LSFs often concentrate economic gains among fewer, more powerful, and more vertically integrated stakeholders, this transition can restrict SSF-reliant communities’ access to fishing rights and marine resources, thereby reducing food security by limiting access to wild food sources. This study compiles documented impacts of prioritizing LSFs over SSFs on previously SSF-reliant coastal communities. Using case study examples from a synthetic review of the literature and drawing on data from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests data, which provides comprehensive SSF catch and livelihood data across different countries, we describe and compare SSF indicators in countries with varying degrees of SSF and LSF reliance, as well as in focal fisheries which have experienced some degree of transition from SSF to LSF. We develop a conceptual model to assess how shifts from SSFs to LSFs can impact food security, particularly in lower-income communities that are highly reliant on SSFs. The findings underscore the need for governance models that recognize the collective nutritional benefits and social safety net that SSFs provide, suggesting that policies fostering equitable access to marine resources can help mitigate the food security risks inherent in LSF-dominated fishery settings.
