Inland fisheries critical for the diet quality of young children in sub-Saharan Africa

O’Meara, Lydia; Cohen, Philippa J.; Simmance, Fiona; Marinda, Pamela A.; Nagoli, Joseph; Teoh, Shwu Jiau; Funge-Smith, S.; Mills, David J.; Thilsted, Shakuntala H.; Byrd, Kendra

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100483

Cited by 35 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Availability and physical access emerge as key determinants of fish consumption, though often as an inference based on the location of study sites, rather than direct assessment of households’ engagement in fishing activities or opportunities for market purchases. This corresponds with several studies’ findings that a higher likelihood of children consuming fish is associated with proximity to coastal areas or inland water bodies [ 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Economic access was examined in almost two thirds of included studies.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

et al. 2021

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Effective actions for the fishery and aquaculture sectors to contribute toward improving nutrition rely on an understanding of the factors influencing fish intake, particularly amongst vulnerable populations. This scoping review synthesises evidence from 33 studies in the African Great Lakes Region to examine the influence of food environments on fish acquisition and consumption. We identified only two studies that explicitly applied a food environment framework and none that linked policy conditions with the contribution of fish to diets. Economic access to fish was represented in the largest number of included studies (21 studies), followed by preferences, acceptability and desirability of fish (17 studies) and availability and physical access (14 studies). Positive perceptions of taste and low cost, relative to other animal-source foods, were drivers of fish purchases in many settings; however, limited physical and economic access were frequently identified as preventing optimal intake. In lakeside communities, fish were increasingly directed toward external markets which reduced the availability and affordability of fish for local households. Few studies considered intra-household variations in fish access according to age, gender or physiological status, which represents an important knowledge gap. There is also scope for future research on seasonal influences on fish access and the design and rigorous evaluation of programmes and policies that address one or more constraints of availability, cost, convenience and preferences.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

et al. 2021

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“…However, the frequency of fish intake varies among infants and young children. Children living closer to fisheries consume fish more frequently than children who live further from fisheries (O'Meara et al, 2021), indicating an opportunity to increase fish intake among certain populations of children. Small fish from capture fisheries in and outside of Zambia are sometimes underfished (Kolding et al, 2019) and are thus a promising option for sustainably increasing the supply of fish.…”

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confidence: 99%

Dried small fish provide nutrient densities important for the first 1000 days

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Pincus

Pasqualino

et al. 2021

Maternal & Child Nutrition

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Inadequate nutrient intakes are prevalent among many populations in sub-Saharan Africa and increasing fish consumption among pregnant/lactating women and children is one strategy to improve diets and address nutrient deficiencies. We report the nutrient content of two fish-based recipes-fish powder and fish chutney-that contain dried small fish available in local markets in Zambia. The contribution of a serving of each recipe to the recommended daily intakes of iron, zinc, calcium and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for pregnant/lactating women and children 6-24 months was calculated because these nutrients are commonly deficient in African diets. We found that one 10-g serving of fish powder provides 20% or more of the daily calcium recommendation and 37% or more of the daily DHA recommendation for both pregnant/lactating women and children. A 30-g serving of fish chutney provides over 40% of the daily calcium recommendation for pregnant women and over 50% for lactating women. Additionally, we investigated the nutrient density (nutrients per kilocalorie) of the fish powder and compared it with the nutrient density of a small-quantity lipid-based nutrient supplement plus (SQ-LNS-plus). SQ-LNS-plus is designed to enhance children's diets by providing micronutrients and DHA. Fish powder is similar to SQ-LNS-plus in iron and zinc density and even higher in calcium and DHA density. Consuming dried small fish as part of a daily meal can be a viable strategy for combatting nutrient deficiencies in the first 1000 days.

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“…Participants also outlined diversified livelihoods, which is common in inland fishing communities and vulnerable regions (Allison and Mvula, 2002 ; Kolding et al 2016a , b ), and the sequential nature of livelihood strategies where many highlighted that fish-related activities provided the extra income that increased their opportunities to achieve desired livelihood outcomes. In addition, the contribution of fish-related livelihoods to food and nutrition security was shown via direct—fish as food, and indirect—fish as income pathways and purchase of staple foods, which is increasingly being found in other contexts where inland fisheries can increase dietary diversity (Darling 2014 ; Hartje et al 2018 ; Moreau and Garaway 2018 ; O’Meara et al 2021 ). However, there were also differences found in the utilisation of income beyond food security, with participants investing in material and productive assets, such as natural (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In East and Southern Africa inland fisheries are often the main domestic supply of fish with many fisheries driven by climate variability (Jul-Larsen et al 2002 ; Kolding et al 2016a , b ). In these contexts, inland fisheries can provide critical benefits to local rural populations (Kakwasha et al 2020 ); providing relatively high income compared to agriculture (Ellis and Bahiigwa 2003 ; Béné et al 2016 ), improving dietary diversity (O’Meara et al 2021 ) and strengthening resilience (Allison and Mvula 2002 ). However, some countries such as Malawi experience some of the highest variability in production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A photovoice assessment for illuminating the role of inland fisheries to livelihoods and the local challenges experienced through the lens of fishers in a climate-driven lake of Malawi

Simmance

Kolding

et al. 2021

Ambio

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Small-scale inland capture fisheries provide an important source of nutritious food, employment and income to millions of people in developing countries, particularly in rural environments where limited alternatives exist. However, the sector is one of most under-valued fisheries sectors and is increasingly experiencing environmental change. This study adopts a Sustainable Livelihoods Approach and investigates how important a fluctuating inland fishery is to livelihoods, and how local perceptions on challenges corresponds to global evidence. Through an innovative participatory method; photovoice, the lived experiences and perceptions of fishers are depicted. The findings illuminate the valuable role of the sector to food and nutrition security and the complex nexus with vulnerability to climate change. The study responds to the call for more local level assessments of the impacts of climate change on inland fisheries in data-limited environments, and the value of the sector in underpinning the Sustainable Development Goals.

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Inland fisheries critical for the diet quality of young children in sub-Saharan Africa

Cited by 35 publications

References 43 publications

Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

Fish Acquisition and Consumption in the African Great Lakes Region through a Food Environment Lens: A Scoping Review

Dried small fish provide nutrient densities important for the first 1000 days

A photovoice assessment for illuminating the role of inland fisheries to livelihoods and the local challenges experienced through the lens of fishers in a climate-driven lake of Malawi

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