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| | | Fisheries and Aquaculture |
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| | Major challenges in fisheries | | |  Fish and fish products provide a significant proportion of humanity's animal protein needs. For many of the world's most vulnerable people living on coastal zones or islands, it is a particularly important and often vital source of protein and of many micronutrients necessary for a healthy life. In the field of fisheries, the principal challenge regarding food security lies in organizing and stimulating production in order that per capita supply of fish as food does not decline while ensuring responsible fishery practices. | | | | Capture fisheries | | |  In the capture fisheries sector, problems arise due to overfishing and costs of catch for some species. In developing countries these issues are complicated by the low-income of artisanal fishers who are not in a position to maintain sustainable fishing practices to protect future generations, and a lack of enforcement of any regulations in such small outlying communities. Although there is growing pressure to ban certain types of fishing which threaten biodiversity, such bans cannot function alone but must be reinforced by policies which concentrate on selective but economically viable fishing and which include research into unexploited oceanic stocks e.g. mesopolagics and squids. Likewise in the field of coastal fisheries, policies need to be developed which ensure both a sustainable and optimal supply of fish. A special effort should be made in the aquaculture section to provide high-volume/low-value species which will give an assured supply of affordable fish, bearing in mind that the inputs needed in commercial aquaculture are also used for agriculture or livestock production. However, such aquaculture practices which provide affordable fish have to be closely monitored for possible pollution problems. | | | | Trade practices | | |  In the field of international fish trade, a danger lies in the increase of trade in the low-cost fish which could provide greater exports for fishmeal at the cost of depriving the poor of a basic food. It is important that fishery management systems take into account both the needs of fishers and environmental security. | | | | |
 | | | | | Fish farming boosts rural development and reduces poverty
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| | FAO convenes first ever Global Intergovernmental Meeting in Beijing to discuss aquaculture Beijing, 18 April 2002 - The role of aquaculture in fighting hunger and poverty and promoting rural development will be the main focus of an international meeting convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) opening in Beijing today. According to FAO, aquaculture can make an important contribution to poverty alleviation, food security and social well-being, and already does so in many developing countries. In others, however, the potential has not yet been fully realized. With an overall growth rate of 11 percent a year since 1984, aquaculture, including culture-based fisheries, has been the world's fastest growing food-producing sectors for nearly 20 years. In 1999, 42.77 million metric tons of aquatic products (including plants) valued at US$ 53.5 billion were produced, and more than 300 species of aquatic organisms are today farmed globally. Approximately 90% of the total aquaculture production is produced in developing countries, and a large proportion of this is produced by small-scale producers particularly in Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs). While export-oriented, industrial and commercial aquaculture practices bring much needed foreign exchange, revenue and employment to a country, more extensive and integrated forms of aquaculture do not only make a significant, grass-roots, contribution to improving livelihoods among the poorer sectors of society but also promote efficient use of resources and environmental conservation, according to a paper prepared by FAO for the first session of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture. Representatives from governments, inter-governmental organizations, UN agencies and international non-governmental organizations will participate in the meeting, which takes place at the Beijing International Convention Centre, Beijing, China, from 18-22 April. "The challenge for aquaculture is to help strengthen the assets available to rural households," says Mr Rohana Subasinghe, Secretary of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture and FAO's focal point for the meeting in Beijing. "Aquaculture provides food of high nutritional value for households, and when small-scale farmers combine agriculture and aquaculture they also improve their food supply, increase their income and become better able to withstand shocks. It decreases the risk to production, increases farm sustainability and in general boosts rural development". Aquaculture contributes almost a third of global fisheries production. FAO's latest studies on future demand for, and supply of, fish and fishery products predict a sizeable increase in demand. The majority of this increase will result from expected economic development, population growth and changes in eating habits. Fish supply from marine capture fisheries in most countries is expected to remain constant or even to decline, since catches have either reached or are close to the maximum sustainable yield. Hence, aquaculture and fisheries in inland waters will play a major role in increasing future supplies of fish and fishery products. Global growth in aquaculture is forecast to continue in the future. At the meeting in Beijing the participants are to discuss sustainable aquaculture development and the implementation of aquaculture-related provisions of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. Addressing the recent public debate related to the negative environmental and social impact of aquaculture, Mr Ichiro Nomura, Assistant Director-General, of FAO's Fisheries Department said at the opening of the meeting: "Historically, most aquaculture practices around the world have been pursued with significant social, economic and nutritional benefits, and with minimal environmental costs. However in certain parts of the world and in certain aquaculture sectors there have been some inadequately-planned and inappropriately managed form | |
Read more at http://www.fao.org/fi/Prodn.asp.
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| Serge Garcia
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1076 Topics - 5135 Related Knowledge - 2534 Members - 34 Editors |
