On the outer islands fish is sold from the homes of fishermen or to Naficot on those islands with operational Naficot fishing centres. Dried fish is produced on a few of the outer islands and sold in Funafuti, through Naficot. Fisheries development has focussed on projects that support the activities of fishermen rather than women. This has been due to the focus on income-generating, commercial fisheries development which has mainly involved men. One of the main restrictions on fisheries activities for the women is the traditional division of labour between men and women.
Fishing is seen as the capture of fish and solely the domain of men.
Reef gleaning, or the collection of seafood at low tide by women and children is less important now than in the past. Despite once providing important protein for the community, especially when the weather was too rough for the men to go fishing, reef gleaning has never been considered a fishing activity. Even women's involvement in processing and marketing, though recognised, has not been considered by regional and national agencies when planning the development and management of the fisheries of Tuvalu. A major constraint to fisheries activities on the outer islands is the storage and transport of fish, both for sale and for local use. A draft report of the survey has been submitted to the Government of Tuvalu and is presently waiting for comments from the people involved in the survey.