382 Fish as feed inputs for aquaculture – Practices, sustainability and implications
4.2 Aquaculture and income for the poor
In Asia, rural aquaculture – managed as household activities or as enterprises – can
contribute significantly to income for the rural poor^12. Worldwide, fish – whether
produced through capture fisheries^13 or aquaculture – are frequently seen as cash crop,
even in the poorest of households. Studies in various developing countries (e.g. China
and Viet Nam) have shown that 80–100 percent of the aquaculture products from
rural farm households are marketed (FAO, 2003). This suggests that aquaculture is an
activity that generates not only food for rural households but above all, cash and thus
is an important direct and indirect source of food security.
In many countries, the average market prices of fish are lower than those of other
animal products such as chicken, pork and red meat. Especially in Asia, the low prices
of aquaculture commodities such as carps and tilapias make fish highly accessible to
even the poorest segments of the population. Poor people in land-locked countries
such as Nepal and Laos largely depend on freshwater aquaculture for their fish (FAO,
2003).
The average annual per capita income of people employed full-time in the fisheries
sector (including aquaculture) in China was about US$540 in 1999, which was more
than double that of rural terrestrial farmers. In Southeast Asian countries such as
Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia, a similar situation can be found; farmers engaged
in aquaculture generally generate higher household incomes than those who are not. In
Viet Nam, 50 percent of the farmers involved in aquaculture consider it as their main
source of income and derive on average 75 percent of their households’ income from
it. Catfish and shrimp culture specifically have, in recent years, provided an average
annual household income of over US$1 000, which is significantly more than that
generated by comparable agricultural practices (FAO, 2003).
Suitable technology, know-how and inputs must be available for rural aquaculture to
be a reality. However, aquaculture is able to function as an activity that generates cash
only if aquaculturists find ways of marketing their produce. Thus, efficient markets are
essential. Unless such markets exist or are developed, fishers and aquaculturists will not
be able to rely on sales of fish as a source of livelihood.4 .3 Aquaculture and nutrition for the poor and food insecure
In many countries, fish is an important component of the diet and in some, rural
aquaculture is an important source of supply. The main factor behind the high demand
for staple foodfish (in particular, inexpensive farmed freshwater fish species feeding
low on the aquatic food chain) within most developing countries is their greater
affordability to the poorer segments of the community (FAO, 2003).
A consumption survey in Bangladesh confirmed that fish is an important part of the
diet for most people in rural areas. Fish were eaten in small amounts and with great
frequency in nearly all households. Changes in fish supply available for consumption
therefore, affect the diets of most people in the country, including the poor households
(Roos, Thilsted and Islam, 2003).
Aquaculture producers have, through various technological interventions, achieved
important productivity gains and cost reductions. Over time this has led to a decrease
in prices, despite short-term intervals of significant price swings. The prices of fishery
products did not increase as a result of the growing international demand, instead
they showed a decreasing trend (FAO, 2003). Studies seem to indicate two important(^12) “Small-scale aquaculture is a very positive poverty reduction technology if it can be developed and
integrated with participatory planning approaches, institutional and credit supports” (Tung, 2000).
(^13) Research in the Lake Chad area has shown that the poorest households around the lake consume a lower
proportion of their catch than the better-off households and instead sell most of their fish in order to
be able to purchase cheaper foodstuffs – in the region, mainly millets (Bené, Macfadyen and Allison,
2007).