FAO for improving fisheries management to help ensure food security

New York, NY (BBN)- The United Nations food agency has urged countries to effectively manage their fisheries and aquaculture sectors to help ensure the food security for millions of people.

“Fisheries and aquaculture are making a vital contribution to global food security and economic growth,” the head of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, Árni M. Mathiesen, said in a statement on Monday. 

“However, the sector faces an array of problems, including poor governance, weak fisheries management regimes, conflicts over the use of natural resources, the persistent use of poor fishery and aquaculture practices.

“It is further undermined by a failure to incorporate the priorities and rights of small-scale fishing communities and the injustices relating to gender discrimination and child labour,” Mr. Mathiesen added.

According to the latest issue of its report on the matter, entitled The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2012, world fisheries and aquaculture produced a record 128 million tons of fish for human food last year – an average of 18.4 kilograms per person. In addition, the report notes that the sector is a source of income for 55 million people.

It goes on to note that the primary threats undermining the food and nutrition security potential of fisheries and aquaculture result principally from ineffective management coupled with poor conservation of habitats – and states that a transition towards people-centred approaches is required to enhance the sector’s contribution to food and livelihoods security.

In the report, FAO calls on governments to boost their efforts to ensure sustainable fisheries around the world, noting that many of the marine fish stocks monitored by the agency are under great pressure as nearly 30 per cent of them are overexploited, and 57 per cent are fully exploited, meaning that they are at their maximum sustainable production.

The report argues that strengthened governance in this sector is required to prove incentives for sustainable ecosystem mechanisms, and recommends the development of voluntary guidelines to attain a global sustainable food production system which takes into account the role of small-scale fisheries.

 

BBN/SSR/AD-10July12-10:44 am (BST)