This project implements the national fisheries strategy in Timor-Leste to improve coastal community livelihoods through sustainable fisheries management. The FSSP2 project benefits approximately 25,000 women and men fishers and their communities as well as managers and diverse stakeholders by increasing the sustainable production and increased consumption of coastal fish in Timor-Leste.

The project is part of an ongoing WorldFish research program in Timor-Leste aimed at contributing knowledge to support nutrition-sensitive fisheries management aligned closely with the national strategic objectives. FSSP2 builds on research and findings from Phase 1 of FSSP to raise the capacity of fisheries officers and students in Timor-Leste in fisheries management research, and to improve the business skills and decision-making of women and men in fish-based livelihoods.

The project includes a study that will carry out a randomized controlled trial across 24 villages in six municipalities of Timor-Leste to test the effects of nearshore fish aggregating devices on fisher and trader income and the effects of social and behavior change communication on fish consumption in inland communities.