Wild fish and other aquatic organisms as feed in aquaculture in Africa and the Near East 131
pelagic catch that is reduced to fishmeal highlights the urgent need to focus on improved
post-harvest technologies, such that spoilage can be avoided.
By way of some examples, the report illustrates that the reduction of fish can either
have negative or positive impacts on the poor. Hence, it is difficult to make broad regional
recommendations with respect to reduction fisheries and, of course, this is further
compounded by the fact that there are no reduction fisheries, sensu stricto, in Africa and
the Near East, except for South Africa. In conclusion, and principally on the basis that
there are only two fishmeal and fish oil-producing countries of substance in the region, it
is recommended that steps be taken to; (1) improve monitoring and reporting of fishmeal
and fish oil production and consumption; (2) improve monitoring such that analyses
to determine the financial benefits of fish reduction versus loss of food security can be
undertaken; and (3) create greater awareness of the potential benefits of small pelagic
fisheries with respect to food security and poverty reduction, particularly in areas where
imbalances already exist and where the reduction of fish may exacerbate the problem of
low food security in the future.