The growing capture of low value trash fish and the need for governments to work with coastal fishing communities to develop sustainable fisheries are among the major issues facing the fishing industry across the Asia-Pacific region according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
At the recently held Twenty-ninth Session of the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC) in Kuala Lumpur, delegates from member organisations and fisheries agencies discussed recommendations and suggestions from various preceding regional meetings and workshops aimed at developing Pan-Asian initiatives to tackle these and other pressing issues, including illegal fishing and seafood quality and safety, that face the fishing industry.
APFIC is a regional fishery body established by FAO that acts as a consultative forum working in partnership with other regional organisations and members. APFIC provides advice, coordinates activities and disseminates information to increase knowledge of fisheries and aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region to aid fisheries-related decision making. The APFIC secretariat is based in the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok, Thailand.
According to FAO statistics, almost 33 million people in the Asia-Pacific region are directly engaged in fishing and fish farming as a full or part time occupation. Exports of fish and fishery products from Asia-Pacific countries were worth more than US$20 billion in 2003, representing 32% of the value of world fish and fishery exports. Countries in the region caught 51% of world capture fisheries and produced 89% of world aquaculture fisheries production in volume terms accounting for 63% or almost 84 million metric tons of world fishery production.
The growing capture of low value trash fish has developed into an important issue recently due to the decline in capture fisheries production in most Asia-Pacific countries and the increasing proportion of low value fish among the total catch. Because the term 'trash fish' has different meanings in different countries, the term 'low value trash fish' is used to describe fish that typically are small in size and of generally low economic value.
The fish are used either for human consumption or fed to other fish on fish farms or processed into fish meal and fish oil.
According to statistics provided by various countries to the FAO, low value trash fish production is over 10 million mt each year in the Asia-Pacific region accounting for about 25% of total capture fisheries production. Most are caught by trawlers.
China in 2001 estimated low value trash production at 5.3 million mt, accounting for 38% of total capture fisheries, while Vietnam the same year estimated low value trash fish production as 930,000mt, accounting for 36% of capture fisheries.
India estimates low value trash fish production as 270,000mt representing 15% of capture fisheries production while Thailand's estimate is 765,000mt accounting for 31% of capture fisheries.
Issues connected with growing volume of low value trash fish production vary among countries. In those where more intensive methods of aquaculture are being introduced to raise omnivorous and carnivorous species, demand for trash fish feed is growing, putting a strain on the already depleted coastal marine resources in the Asia-Pacific region.
Another issue is that many people are becoming concerned that using trash fish as fish and livestock feed is undermining the food security of the rural poor, though aquaculture also creates employment opportunities through direct and indirect employment.
The composition of low value trash fish catch also has attracted debate. In one survey in Thailand, for example, of 35 fish species caught as low value trash fish, nine were small fish species while 26 were juveniles of high value fish species that would have a higher market value if left to grow and which constitute an ecological loss as they are not able to reproduce and contribute to future stocks.
The fact that information is not available on how sustainable the capture of low value trash fish will be is another concern. Over-fishing of smaller species also seems likely to happen if uncontrolled, contributing to a further decline in marine fish stocks.
An earlier Regional Consultative Workshop produced an action plan to address issues resulting from increased low value trash fish production. Details are being disseminated by APFIC as part of its wider information provider remit.
To improve information the workshop recommended the adoption of common terminology for data collection on low value trash fish to enable countries and fishery bodies to better understand trends and uses of trash fish for planning and management purposes. Greater awareness of trash fish issues is needed among fishing communities while the potential for human consumption also needs to be better promoted. At the same time improved awareness is needed among the aquaculture sector about the potential for pellet feeds use.
The workshop also recommended intervention in fisheries practices to reduce wastage and excessive trash fish capture. The introduction of improved selectivity in fishing gears and fishing practices is needed along with a reduction of the trawling and push net effort while monitoring the effect of capacity reduction. Juvenile nursery areas need to be better protected through the closing of selected fishing areas and seasonal restrictions, the workshop decided, while fishing communities should be closer involved in fisheries management and the use of rights based fisheries to encourage them to protect their own livelihood.
Other action plan recommendations include the development of improved feeds for aquaculture to reduce reliance on trash fish. A change from direct feeding to pellet feeding is recommended, along with a reduction of the fishmeal content in pellets by substituting suitable ingredients. At the same time more feed research is needed for both inland and marine aquaculture species.
