Impacts of COVID-19 on the Fisheries and Aquaculture Sector in Developing Countries and Ways Forward

Abstract

Fish is a major source of food and nutritional security for subsistence communities in developing countries, it also has linkages with the economic and supply-chain dimensions of these countries. Burgeoning literature has revealed the adverse impacts of COVID-19 on the fisheries and aquaculture sector, which serves as the major source of income and employment for numerous people globally. This study has employed a systematic literature review of the overall impacts of COVID-19 on the fisheries and aquaculture sector in developing countries using the PRISMA approach. This study reveals that COVID-19 has posed numerous challenges to fish supply chain actors, including a shortage of inputs, a lack of technical assistance, an inability to sell the product, a lack of transportation for the fish supply, export restrictions on fish and fisheries products, and a low fish price. These challenges lead to inadequate production, unanticipated stock retention, and a loss in returns. COVID-19 has also resulted in food insecurity for many small-scale fish growers. Fish farmers are becoming less motivated to raise fish and related products as a result of these cumulative consequences. Because of COVID-19’s different restriction measures, the demand and supply sides of the fish food chain have been disrupted, resulting in reduced livelihoods and economic vulnerability. In order to assist stakeholders to cope with, adapt to, and build resilience to pandemics and other shocks, this study offers policy recommendations to address the COVID-19-induced crisis in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Aquaculture Production and Value Chains in the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The damage to the aquaculture sector in China caused by COVID-19 has been reported to be far-reaching due to input, production, marketing, and export problems [24]. It has been reported that COVID-19 has adverse impacts on aquaculture production in a number of Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam [21,[25][26][27]. In Malaysia, aquaculture production has been affected by the pandemic due to transport disruption, interruption of supply chains, reduction in feed supply, and reduction in seafood demand [20,28].…”

“…There is great cause of concern about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on input supply of various aquaculture practices. Because of inadequate and/or irregular input supply, COVID-19 affects aquaculture in several Asian countries, including Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam [21,27]. There are concerns of aquaculture practices by limiting input supply, which undermine fish production (Fig.…”

Impacts of Covid-19 Pandemic and Adaptive Strategies to Build Resilience in the Kenyan Aquaculture Sector

“…Consumer demand is growing across the fish value chains, and some fish stocks are becoming less sustainable (Pradeepkiran, 2019). It takes a complicated set of actions to get fish and fish products from fisheries and aquaculture production to final customers and the methods used to handle these value chains range from artisanal to highly industrial (Alam et al, 2022). The important steps in a supply chain for fisheries or aquaculture product include fishing, aquaculture production, processing, input transit, distribution, wholesale marketing and retail marketing.…”

“…For instance, due to the significant drop in the market's demand for fish and the limited transportation options that were available during the lockdown, fish farms have had difficulty in collecting and selling their goods (FAO, 2021). As farmers were unable to sell their products there was an increase in live fish stock levels and a lengthening of the fish culture period, both of which negatively impacted the feed conversion ratios, the ability to restock and, ultimately, the farms' profitability (Alam et al, 2022). Accordingly, the risky of fish mortality and feeding expenditures grew (Fiorella et al, 2021;Alam et al, 2022).…”

“…As farmers were unable to sell their products there was an increase in live fish stock levels and a lengthening of the fish culture period, both of which negatively impacted the feed conversion ratios, the ability to restock and, ultimately, the farms' profitability (Alam et al, 2022). Accordingly, the risky of fish mortality and feeding expenditures grew (Fiorella et al, 2021;Alam et al, 2022). Moreover, due to the stringent restrictions on movement, aquaculture producers reported difficulties with access to production inputs, such as broodstock, fingerlings, feed, labour and limited access to extension services (Manlosa et al, 2021).…”