Fisheries
Viewpoint
The Importance of Coastal Fishery Resources
Fish constitutes the traditional diet of most Pacific islanders. In addition, it provides employment and income to the majority of the people living in the Pacific Islands. As a result, coastal fishery resources are of fundamental importance to the region: much of the nutrition, welfare, culture, employment and recreation in the Pacific are indeed based on the sea, on the living resources in the zone between the shoreline and the outer reefs.
Current lifestyles as well as opportunities for future development and food security are all highly dependent on coastal fishery resources. Thousands of Pacific subsistence, artisanal and commercial fishers harvest a very diverse range of finfish, invertebrates and seaweeds. The present production estimates are typically ‘guesstimates’, based on data from agriculture censuses, household surveys or nutrition studies. Secretariat of the Pacific Community (1996) estimated coastal fishery landings in each island country by using a wide variety of sources available at the time. Those estimates were updated by the Asian Development Bank (2001) for 14 countries as shown (see Table on page 40).
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FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) data shows that fish from coastal areas constitutes 38.7 percent of the total animal protein intake in the Pacific Islands. This figure is much higher than the world average of 16.1 percent. It proves that Pacific islanders have a strong tradition of eating fish. This preference often takes precedence over economic considerations, especially in Micronesia and Polynesia. Fresh fish will frequently be purchased even though it is more expensive than other alternatives, e.g. imported mutton flaps, turkey tails or canned meat.
The subsistence fisheries capture about 102,000 mt per year. In some countries, over 80 percent of the coastal catch is from the subsistence sector. In a recent review, ADB (2001) estimated that the contribution of subsistence fisheries to GDP was actually quite large in a number of Pacific Islands countries.
In its latest regional economic review, the World Bank calculated the value of annual subsistence production of finfish and shellfish in protein equivalent at US$6.7 million in Fiji, $18 million in Kiribati, $13.9 million in the Solomon Islands, and $14.7 million in Vanuatu. Subsistence fisheries generally occupy a large variety of species such as fish, mollusks, crustaceans, seaweeds and other groups. Typical of the Pacific subsistence fisheries is the specialized knowledge which is passed down through generations. The social aspects of subsistence fisheries can best be observed in labour intensive operations which often involve entire communities, including the sharing of the catch amongst the members of the community. Other social aspects relate to restrictions and/or prohibitions and the specialisation of activities along gender lines: women are involved in inshore fishing activities - such as reef gleaning and invertebrate collection - and the preparation of food from the products of the fishing activities.
Compared to subsistence fisheries of the region, the Pacific coastal commercial fisheries are smaller and involve a more restricted range of species - although still substantial. For example, Fiji’s fish markets contain more than 100 species of finfish and 50 species of invertebrates. In addition, Pacific commercial fishery has an added dimension as it is export-oriented. The region exports high value commodities (such as sea cucumbers, trochus shells, pearl shells, pearls, deep-water snappers, giant clams, live groupers and aquarium fish) while importing mainly inexpensive food supplies, such as canned mackerel and canned sardines. Much of these traditional export commodities are actually harvested by ’subsistence’ type fishers, partly processed in some cases by them, and then sold on to middlemen for subsequent further processing and re-sale in bulk quantities.
During the past decade, however, the commercialisation of coastal fisheries has increased considerably. The importance of coastal fishery resources is matched by the range of challenges facing them. The most serious problems are:
· Over-fishing: excess fishing capacities have been created by commercial incentives, increased market demands and access, population growth, modern fishing technology, and urbanisation;
· Land-based threats: such as those created by logging, mining and sewage disposal;
· Destructive fishing: dynamiting and fish poisoning;
· Competing uses of the coastal zone: land fill, infrastructure construction, and buildings; and
· The breakdown of traditional authority, which is usually considered to be essential for community management of coastal resources.
In a recent study by the World Bank (2001), one important conclusion was the urgent need to reduce overall fishing efforts. Although many communities have adopted restrictions to fishing by outsiders, few have managed to effectively regulate their own harvests. Further efforts are needed to raise the awareness of traditional leaders of the benefits to restricting fishing efforts, and - especially - adopt more sustainable fishing technologies.
The column is provided by the Food and Agricultural Organisation.
