As developing nations increasingly turn to the sea for food and export products, coastal artisanal fisheries threaten to deplete area aquatic resources. This report outlines the results of an AID-funded workshop conducted by the University of Rhode Island on the use of stock assessment for small-scale tropical fisheries. The workshop sought to create a dialogue between fishery administrators from developing countries and theoreticians to enable the latter to more effectively propose new approaches to assessment. The report consists of the 15 papers (most with bibliographies; some of which have German titles) presented at the workshop by experts from Belize, Canada, Italy, Malaysia, New Guinea, Nigeria, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United States. The two key problems regarding stock assessment among small-scale fisheries are the lack of effective structures to allow an information flow from fishery biologists to planners and policymakers, and the inadequate attention given to the economic and sociocultural aspects of small-scale fisheries. Additional data collection and interpretation difficulties include the harvesting of many different species, complicated species interactions, unpredictable growing seasons, sensitivity of tropical ecosystems to perturbations, and the use of numerous landing points and different varieties of fishing gear. Further, stock assessment procedures used for industrial, temperate, or cold water fisheries are not applicable. The workshop recommended that: (1) yields in different locations and environments be studied to estimate resource levels and formulate development and management strategies; (2) the use of several types of small-scale fishing gear in various locations be studied to determine relative stock densities and to establish a basis for correlating data on fish caught with different equipment in the same location; (3) fisheries models showing population growth rates concurrent with depletion rates be altered for use in multi-species, multi-equipment environments; and (4) research be done to provide policy analysis studies of management and development options for small-scale fisheries. A list of the workshop participants and support staff are included.