Fishing in Ceará, even with its high socioeconomic importance, presents major problems. Among them is the absence of a data collection program. This deficiency affects the lack of decision making and support to the development of public policies. In order to support the development of fisheries in the state of Ceará, this article presents innovations used in other fisheries in the world and in Brazil that may be appropriate for the state. Aim: to modernize artisanal fishing and improve the quality of life of fishermen. Based on a systematic literature review related to innovations for small-scale fisheries and listing some of the problems faced by artisanal fisheries, co-management and the use of applications for monitoring and fair trade were defined as innovations to foster positive changes in the fishing communities of the state. The results indicate that shared management between government and users, through participatory management, is a favorable measure in the management of artisanal fisheries, and the use of applications for monitoring fisheries can make up for the lack of information. Meanwhile, the development of fair trade will create market opportunities that take into consideration social, economic, and environmental aspects.
Keywords: Artisanal Fishing; Innovation; Co-management; Monitoring; Fair Trade.