The DFID funded Fisheries Management Science Programme (FMSP) has completed a number of research projects that show how fisheries contribute to food security in developing countries. Fish are said to provide the main source of animal protein to about one billion people globally. In low income food deficient countries (LIFDCs) they make up 22% of animal protein consumption. In these countries small scale fisheries are hold particular importance for food security. 95% of the 38 million people employed in fisheries worldwide are in developing countries.

Research has found that small scale fishers do not usually sell on their catch until their own subsistence levels have been met. The amount that is kept is relatively constant, and not governed by the size or the value of the catch. Subsistence remains a priority to the majority of people in developing countries, and it is important that their livelihoods are protected and sustained.

The nutritional value of fish is well known by most people. Fish are a good source of protein, micro nutrients and essential fatty acids. It provides a valuable balance to the diets of those people in developing countries who have a predominantly carbohydrate-based diet. Indigenous fish, which are often eaten whole, can also provide an important source of calcium and other micronutrients.

FMSP has undertaken a number of projects that have successfully increased the food security benefits to poor people from small-scale fisheries. For instance, FMSP identified a number of management strategies to improve the management strategies of inland fisheries. This project focused on self-recruiting species, which by definition do not require regular and repeated re-stocking. However, the restocking of collected juveniles and screening pond entrances are just some of the strategies used to ensure that the food security benefits of fish are sustained.

The sustainability of existing fish stocks are undoubtedly under threat due to global population growth. Many fish stocks are now overfished and unproductive, often making fish expensive. As a result there are increasingly competing demands on fishery resources. Local fishers often have to compete with industrial fishing boats, and frequently lose out on previously reliable fish resources. This has serious implications for their food security, and makes the protection of small scale fishers’ access rights important.

FMSP has been working with people in developing countries to address some of the conflicts over resources and access to them. For example, a project in northern Mozambique helped to establish a three mile exclusion zone where industrial fleets were banned from fishing. This ended an ongoing conflict between local small-scale fishers and industrial boats over gear entanglement.

There is clearly a need to ensure that fishers continue to provide a source of food security for millions of people worldwide, especially in developing countries, where fish provides subsistence and nutritional balance. There must be continued efforts to ensure fish stocks are managed appropriately, production increased, and small-scale fishers supported in conflicts over access to fishing resources.

You can find out more about the FMSP on R4D and through the projects own website: http://www.fmsp.org.uk