Book excerpt: These Guidelines for increasing access of small-scale fisheries to credit and microfinance services in Asia have been developed to support the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines). The purpose of these guidelines is fourfold, i.e. to: • Increase awareness about the financial service needs of small-scale fishers (SSF) for more sustainable and inclusive access to finance; • Guide policy and decision makers in the Asia-Pacific region and elsewhere, to help introduce and incentivize financial services to small-scale fishers, with the ultimate objective to encourage investment in the industry and by doing so influence and strengthen sustainability, ecological and economic viability of these fisheries; • Build capacity among financial service providers, fisherfolk organizations, NGOs, and concerned government agencies, to design and implement financial service products and programmes that suit the needs of small-scale fishing communities and enhance social protection; and • Promote financial services that incentivize and reward a responsible and sustainable conduct of fishing, fish processing and marketing operations. The document commences by laying out the background and context, purpose and target audience of these Guidelines. It describes why microfinance and credit are important for small scale fisheries and why many small-scale fishers are not currently financed, which includes a discussion of risks. The Guidelines suggest entry and leverage points for actors interested in supporting the access of financial services for SSFs and compares agriculture (smallholders) and SSF business characteristics. The Guidelines identify a range of actors involved in finance of SSF, which include supply side, demand side, multifunction and enabling environment actors. It elaborates on the likely roles and activities of each category of actor, as well as their incentives and constraints in the provision or receipt of finance. The Guidelines describe some key good practices in the provision of microfinance and credit to SSFs and delves into some detail on the market, main activities and possible products, the role of product design, policies and procedures, marketing and promotion, risk assessment and credit analysis, delivery channels, loan monitoring and repayment elements and the need for product pricing to contribute to institutional sustainability. Finally, the Guidelines provide advice to second tier investors, including guidance on the use of smart subsidies, and when concessionary loan funds may be preferable to loan guarantees.