Freshwater Small Pelagic Fish And Their Fisheries In The Major African Lakes And Reservoirs In Relation To Food Security And Nutrition

Small pelagic fish species found in lakes and introduced to reservoirs dominate by volume and contribute some of the most important inland fisheries in Africa with steadily increasing catches and additional potential. This circular reviews the status and importance of the pelagic fish and fisheries, together with small fish in general, for sustainable and healthy livelihoods in Africa. It reviews the biology and biological production of the most important pelagic species in lakes and reservoirs as well as the impacts of environmental and climatic variation on the stocks of these species. It examines and discuss the various capture techniques together with potential of improvements in the fisheries and associated processing and national and regional trade within Africa. The knowledge generated by the circular will be useful for policy makers and development practitioners to design and implement more effective policies, strategies and programs that will contribute to reducing the food insecurity and conflicts that currently affect the people in sub-Saharan Africa.

Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition have been on the rise in recent years, due to disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing climate shocks and conflicts. Decades of steady progress to reduce food insecurity and malnutrition were often attributed to increased food production and intensification of few food staple crops and livestock, however more recent focus has shifted to the role of small-scale producers and the importance of diverse and nutritious foods. This technical paper brings focus to the often overlooked ‘small fish’ which play an integral role in the food security, nutrition and livelihoods of the small-scale fisherfolk who harvest, process, market, trade and distribute small fish to communities near and far from water bodies. The technical paper explores the various dimensions of the ‘small fish food system’, addressing drivers, scales, interactions and multiple outcomes and trade-offs, such as that of small fish used for food versus feed. Throughout, the work applies a human-centred perspective, emphasizing how people are involved in various stages of a food system, and how interactions and networks between them play a role in food system dynamics and outcomes. It is also emphasizes how people play multiple roles within a food system, and thus should not be narrowly defined as fishers, processors or consumers. The paper documents project implementation and lessons from the FAO subprogramme titled “Implementing the Small-Scale Fisheries Guidelines for gender equitable and climate resilient food systems and livelihoods”, and the SmallFishFood, Ikan-F3, Dried Fish Matters, and Fish4Food projects led by the University of Bergen, the University of Amsterdam and the University of Manitoba.

Illuminating Hidden Harvests: the contributions of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development (hereinafter IHH) is a global study uncovering the contributions and impacts of small-scale fisheries through a multidisciplinary approach to data collection and analysis. The study provides information that quantifies and improves understanding of the crucial role of small-scale fisheries in the areas of food security and nutrition, sustainable livelihoods, poverty eradication and healthy ecosystems. It also examines gender equality as well as the nature and scope of governance in small-scale fisheries. The IHH study was carried out in support of the implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines), themselves developed in recognition of the plight of small-scale fishers, fishworkers and associated communities and released as a contribution to the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. The purpose of this report is to contribute to a more holistic understanding of what small-scale fisheries are, their importance, and why they are essential to efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By using this knowledge wisely within a human rights-based approach in line with the SSF Guidelines, and by empowering small-scale fishers and fishworkers, a more inclusive, equitable, sustainable and resilient small-scale scale fisheries subsector can be achieved. Realizing this goal would benefit hundreds of thousands in fishing communities and society at large. With this in mind, the IHH report is aimed at all those with a stake or an interest in the small-scale fisheries subsector, in particular decision-makers who are concerned with fisheries, poverty eradication, food security and nutrition, and sustainable development more generally. It is also addressed to small-scale fisheries actors themselves and those who support them.

As populations grow and urbanize, demand also increases for animal-source foods, including farmed livestock and fish, and for feed products that can include fish-derived ingredients. Low- and middle-income countries are increasingly concerned about the fish-derived ingredient and fish-based feed industry, as many of the fish species used for fish-derived ingredients and fish-based feed production are important for communities as a source of livelihoods and food and nutrition security. The objective of this study was to understand the drivers, outcomes, and trade-offs of the fish-based feed industry for sub-Saharan Africa. The study, using various information sources and mixed methods for data collection and analysis, found that fish-based feeds are mainly exported, offering some economic benefits to governments and fish workers throughout the value chain. At the same time, however, the study results suggest that the industry constitutes a threat to the livelihoods and food and nutrition security of local communities. Looking to the future, a range of actions that are required to ensure that the fish-based feed industry contributes to equitable social and economic development, nutritional benefits, and environmental sustainability were identified. Using a stakeholder Delphi assessment, the study prioritized recommendations for decision-making and future research and these included the establishment of and/or compliance with regulations for environmentally friendly and healthy/safe fish-derived ingredients and fish-based feed production, as well as continued efforts to identify and promote alternative efficient to use feed products that do not rely (or rely less on) fish-based ingredients.

Delving into the phenomenology of corruption and its impacts on the governance of societies, this cutting edge Encyclopedia considers what makes corruption such a resilient, complex, and global priority for study. This title contains one or more Open Access entries.

Intensifying water constraints threaten food security and nutrition. Thus, urgent action is needed to make water use in agriculture more sustainable and equitable. Irrigated agriculture remains by far the largest user of freshwater, but scarcity of freshwater is a growing problem owing to increasing demand and competition for freshwater resources. At the same time, rainfed agriculture is facing increasing precipitation variability driven by climate change. These trends will exacerbate disputes among water users and inequality in access to water, especially for small-scale farmers, the rural poor and other vulnerable populations. The State of Food and Agriculture 2020 presents new estimates on the pervasiveness of water scarcity in irrigated agriculture and of water shortages in rainfed agriculture, as well as on the number of people affected. It finds major differences across countries, and also substantial spatial variation within countries. This evidence informs a discussion of how countries may determine appropriate policies and interventions, depending on the nature and magnitude of the problem, but also on other factors such as the type of agricultural production system and countries’ level of development and their political structures. Based on this, the publication provides guidance on how countries can prioritize policies and interventions to overcome water constraints in agriculture, while ensuring efficient, sustainable and equitable access to water.

This Small-scale Fisheries Brief is tailored to provide insight into the contribution of small-scale fisheries to healthy food systems and sustainable livelihoods in the the Southern African Development Community (SADC). [Author] SADC comprises 16 Member States that lie in southern sub-Saharan Africa. [Author] The region is rich in aquatic resources, with vast inland waterbodies and marine waters. [Author] The fisheries sector generates immense social, economic and nutritional value, which acts as a lifeline for millions of people within the region. [Author] In 2021, over 3. [Author]1 million tonnes of fish were harvested from freshwater and marine capture fisheries in the SADC region. [Author] Capture fisheries are dominated by small-scale fisheries, with many countries having almost exclusively small-scale fisheries relative to large-scale ones. [Author] More than 22. [Author]7 million women and men depend on small-scale fisheries for their livelihoods and subsistence. [Author] Strengthening the commitment and implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication (SSF Guidelines) within national policies and plans can help safeguard and enhance small-scale fisheries’ contributions to sustainable development and food systems in the SADC region. [Author] The Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative has generated new evidence about the value of small-scale fisheries to sustainable development globally and within the SADC; evidence that has informed this brief. [Author]

The objective of this Symposium is to identify pathways to strengthen the science and policy interplay in fisheries production, management and trade, based on solid sustainability principles for improved global outcomes on the ground. Ultimately, the debates and conclusions of the symposium will prepare the way for the development of a new vision for the way we perceive and use capture fisheries, outlining how the sector can respond to the complex and rapidly changing challenges facing society, and support the planning process of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).