Small-scale traditional fisheries employing over 600 million people globally use a wide range of capture methods, with welfare outcomes for fish and non-target species varying significantly by technique.
Traditional fishing communities practise a wide spectrum of methods with very different welfare profiles. Some traditional techniques — hand-line fishing, traditional trap methods, selective spear fishing — are among the most welfare-positive capture methods available. Others, including blast fishing, poison fishing, and fine-mesh gill netting, cause widespread suffering and habitat destruction. Welfare improvement in traditional fishing contexts requires culturally sensitive engagement, economic alternatives to destructive practices, and recognition that many traditional methods are already less harmful than industrial fishing alternatives.