The future of traditional fisheries will be shaped by the attention given to their special problems and by the recognition of their unique value. Declining stocks of readily accessible fish, competition from industrial fishermen, high operating costs, less than optimal gear and vessels, poor storage and marketing facilities, and little access to credit all tend to limit development for fishermen in the traditional sector. Many developing countries have ignored traditional fishermen and have concentrated their assistance in industrial fisheries. Developing countries could increase their fish harvest and improve the quality of life for their coastal dwellers by providing traditional fishing communities with access to modest technical and financial resources and by assuring protection for their fishing grounds. The evaluation and introduction of some of the technologies described in this report could initiate this process.