Coastal communities in many of the world’s developing nations rely on small-scale fisheries for 15-30% of their nutrient intake. However, researchers from the World Wide Fund (WWF), the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and Harvard University have found that an average of 50% of those living in these communities have an inadequate intake of essential nutrients.
Nutrient shortfalls in these populations include iron, zinc, calcium, fatty acids (DHA + EPA), vitamins A and B12, iodine, selenium and fatty acids.
The new data provides valuable context for the more than two billion people worldwide who cannot access nutritious food. The researchers combined multiple global databases to quantify the importance of small-scale marine fisheries to the national-level nutrient supply of coastal populations.
The study published in Scientific Reports demonstrates that more than 20 nations across Africa, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Asia obtain more than 30% of their essential vitamins and nutrients from small-scale fisheries catch.
The study demonstrates the significance of small-scale fisheries for nutritionally vulnerable coastal populations, emphasizing how effective fisheries management can contribute to public health.
These communities have access to staple foods such as rice, wheat, corn and cassava, while aquatic foods are often their only protein staple.
Besides filling micronutrient gaps in vulnerable communities, seafood helps displace the consumption of less healthy meats. Two servings per week can reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases and prenatal and child mortality, notes the study. This will improve the quality of life and life expectancy.
Small-scale fisheries contributed about 32% of the overall global seafood nutrient supply, 17% of the nutrient supply from animal-sourced foods and 10% from all foods. Catch from the small-scale fisheries sector can contribute to human nutrition through direct seafood consumption and fisheries-derived income redirected toward purchases that improve nutrition.
Seafood is more affordable than beef or chicken, making it valuable to coastal communities with limited access to broader food markets.
Small-scale fisheries catch is particularly important in populations that need access to diverse and rich diets. The researchers analyzed the relative contributions of marine small-scale fisheries to nutrient supply at national levels relative to other seafood-producing sectors, animal-sourced foods and all other foods.