From a biological, environmental and socio-economic perspective, many of the world’s fisheries are in poor condition. Rebuilding and managing fisheries in a biologically and environmentally sustainable way can bring considerable social and economic benefits. Policy makers are therefore pressed to rebuild fisheries. A rebuilding plan begins with evaluating the state of the fishery including the environmental and socio-economic situation. The next steps include setting feasible rebuilding goals, deciding on mechanisms to achieve them, monitoring progress, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the fishery once rebuilt. Special attention must be given to risk and uncertainty in rebuilding plans. In this regard, applying risk evaluation and communication of risks to stakeholders is important. Policy makers have many management tools to rebuild fisheries. The tools used will depend on the specific characteristic of each fishery; in all cases, however, a mix of tools is needed to successfully rebuild a fishery.