152 Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture – Practices, sustainability and implications
Therefore, in countries where rural people now have reduced access to fish as a result
of reduction, it is incumbent upon governments to invoke the FAO Code of Conduct
for Responsible Fisheries (FAO, 1995). However, the state of fisheries management and
the generally data-poor nature of the region make it very difficult to implement the
code. It has been shown that the reduction of fish into fishmeal can have a net benefit
for the poor. However, there are instances where people are worse off as a direct result
of fishmeal production. In instances where reduction of fish exacerbates the problem
of low food security, steps should be taken to redress the imbalances.
It has been shown that post-harvest losses and bycatch discards globally and in
Africa are enormous (Ames, 1992; Alverson et al., 1994) and may very well have a larger
net impact on food security and poverty than reduction fisheries in Africa. Hence, it is
recommended that the initiatives to address post-harvest losses by NEPAD, WorldFish
Center and FAO be strongly supported.8.1 Recommendations
The following actions are recommended:- Where appropriate, governments need to be made aware of the impact of fishmeal
production in countries where there is a net deficit in food security. - Where appropriate, governments need to be made aware of the potential that
small pelagic fisheries have to improve national food security. - Where necessary, sustainable fisheries management procedures need to be
implemented, with particular emphasis on inland pelagic fisheries. - Tertiary-level training must be provided to improve fisheries management.
- Governments should encourage fisheries to adhere to the FAO Code of Conduct
for Responsible Fisheries (FAO, 1995) and the Principles and Criteria for
Sustainable Fishing of the Marine Stewardship Council (MRC, 2002) and where
appropriate, should aim to achieve MSC certification and accreditation. - Government are strongly encouraged to collect and record fishmeal and fish oil
production statistics. - National fishmeal and fish oil production statistics need to be recorded and
reported according to source, i.e. dedicated fishery, bycatch, trimmings, spoilt
foodfish, overproduction, etc. - Governments are strongly encouraged to record statistics of fishmeal use in the
animal feed industry. - FAO aquaculture production statistics should also be compiled according to
feeding guilds (i.e. carnivorous, herbivorous, omnivorous, detritivorous and
planktivorous) to better understand, interpret and predict the demand for
aquafeeds in the future. - Where appropriate, governments should be encouraged to develop policies
regarding the use of water for aquaculture and aquaculture effluent.
REFERENCES
Abila, R.O. 2003. Fish trade and food security: are they reconcilable in Lake Victoria?
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Adams, P.B. 1980. Life history patterns in marine fishes and their consequences for fisheries
management. Fishery Bulletin, 78: 1–12.
AFMA. 2006. Feed statistics. Animal Feed Manufacturers Association of South Africa.
(available at http://www.afma.co.za).
Aguilar-Manjarrez, J. & Nath, S.S. 1998. A strategic reassessment of fish farming potential
in Africa. CIFA Technical Paper No. 32. Rome, FAO. 170 pp.