Feeding 9 billion by 2050 – Putting fish back on the menu

Abstract

Fish provides more than 4.5 billion people with at least 15 % of their average per capita intake of animal protein.Fish's unique nutritional properties make it also essential to the health of billions of consumers in both developed and developing countries. Fish is one of the most efficient converters of feed into high quality food and its carbon footprint is lower compared to other animal production systems. Through fish-related activities (fisheries and aquaculture but also processing and trading), fish contribute substantially to the income and therefore to the indirect food security of more than 10 % of the world population, essentially in developing and emergent countries. Yet, limited attention has been given so far to fish as a key element in food security and nutrition strategies at national level and in wider development discussions and interventions. As a result, the tremendous potential for improving food security and nutrition embodied in the strengthening of the fishery and aquaculture sectors is missed. The purpose of this paper is to make a case for a closer integration of fish into the overall debate and future policy about food security and nutrition. For this, we review the evidence from the contemporary and emerging debates and controversies around fisheries and aquaculture and we discuss them in the light of the issues debated in the wider agriculture/farming literature. The overarching question that underlies this paper is: how and to what extent will fish be able to contribute to feeding 9 billion people in 2050 and beyond?

Rainforest metropolis casts 1,000-km defaunation shadow

“…Much of this demand is being met by the expansion of farmed meat production, which has resulted in widespread land-use change (3). However, wild meat such as fish and bushmeat is also an important food for hundreds of millions of tropical consumers, from the poorest and most vulnerable people (4,5) to wealthier urban residents (6,7). The consumption of wild meat is causing pan-tropical defaunation, because exploited populations are widely harvested above the maximum sustainable yield (5,(8)(9)(10).…”

Back to the Basics: Biomimicry in Shrimp Farming

“…Fish being the most efficient converter of energy derived from feed into muscle protein will need more and more amount of inputs in future in terms of feed and fertilizers (Béné et al, 2015). The nutrient waste in an aquaculture system is mostly generated from unconsumed feed and the digestion and metabolic processes of feed (Bossier and Ekasari, 2017).…”

“…Waste assimilation in shrimp farming during the cycle of operation is solely done by the soil microbes which operate the biogeochemical cycles for nutrient recycling. As the intensity of production is increasing day by day, the natural cycling of nutrients is becoming incompetent unless they receive some supplementation in form of external inputs (Béné et al, 2015).…”

Nutritive Profile of Sun Dried Fermented Mud Fish (Clarias Anguiliaris) and Tiger Fish (Hydrocynus Vittatus) Locally Known as Abil Alier Sold in Markets in South Sudan

“…Fish and fish-related products also provide income and livelihoods for numerous communities across the world (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2016) and is the fastest growing food-supply industry in the world (Bé né , Barange, & Subasinghe, 2015). Fish, in a broad sense, including fisheries and aquaculture, plays a crucial role for food security as a purveyor of food (availability), livelihoods and income (Mcclanahan, Allison, & Cinner, 2015) particularly for some vulnerable and marginalized populations (accessibility) (Lynch et al, 2016).…”