The SSF Guidelines therefore state that the identification and application of the term "small-scale" should be carried out at the regional, subregional or national level, taking into account local contexts. In particular, such an exercise should be carried out in a participatory fashion to ensure that all voices, including those of marginalized groups, are heard (FAO, 2015a, section 2.4). Definitions vary between countries in the GFCM area of application. Small-scale fisheries are generally characterized by a large number of boats of low tonnage (between 1 and 4 tonnes), which are highly diversified and use low-impact fishing gear to target a wide variety of species.