The post-war era has afforded Sri Lanka, especially those people in the North and the East, a chance to re-start their lives and livelihoods that were disrupted for 30 years. One of the main industries affected was the fisheries. Within this sector, there is a prevalence of poverty among small-scale fishers as well as others along the value chain. With the end to the armed conflict, the fisheries sector has been identified by both state and non-state actors as an important source of income generation for the people affected by war. Amidst this renewed interest in the fisheries sector, this essay discusses the current practices and types of fisheries that poor people are engaged in, the opportunities and constraints they face, and proposes ways of increasing the sustainability of small-scale fisher livelihoods