Capture fisheries in marine and inland areas involve risks - from the loss of gear and equipment to the vessel itself. A recent FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper, Review of the current state of world capture fisheries insurance, provides an overview of the current status of capture fisheries insurance in the world. The document, now available online, presents the findings of a number of regional and national review desk studies carried out between December 2006 and January 2008 covering China, Japan and India in Asia, Europe, Africa, the United States of America in North America, South America, Oceania and the Russian Federation. A summary synthesis of the studies is included along with information about the insurance market, demand and supply issues, perils covered, vessels insured, risk management methods applied and underwriting experiences. It contains conclusions and practical recommendations for improvement of capture fisheries insurance services and for increasing access to and availability of fisheries insurance for small- and medium-scale fishers in developing countries.