A brief review is presented of some of the measures taken to manage tropical multispecies fisheries in different parts of the world. An examination is also made of other government decisions, e.g. on investment, that can affect the amount of fishing and the way in which these resources are used. The contrast is drawn between the pattern of management that is supposed to occur in advanced countries- careful scientific research, preparation of scientific advice, decision on the desired measures, and implementation and enforcement- with what happens in practice in developing countries. It is suggested that the traditional pattern is not even working too well in developed countries (e.g. in the North Sea). The paper examines how the whole process of taking management decisions (in the wide sense) might be modified to take account of the realities of life in developing countries (particularly the smaller ones with limited research capabilities) and of the complexities and uncertainties of multispecies fisheries.