Friday, February 4, 2011

Inland fishing could help reduce poverty

South Africa is missing out on the opportunity to develop its inland fisheries industry which could help poverty alleviation and food security. Based on a nw report from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Business Day of South Africa reports that at the moment, most inland fisheries focus on recreational fishing, rather than commercial production.

In its report, State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2010, released this week, the FAO said that fishing for pleasure or competition contributed to local and national economies through employment in secondary sectors. However, a lot more could be achieved if there were policies to encourage modern small-scale fisheries to produce high-value products for local and international markets.

The report said the supply of fish as human food hit a record high in 2008, "underlining its significance in contributing to food security and nutrition as a source of high-quality, affordable animal protein". "International trade in fish also topped previous values, pointing to the sector’s continued important contribution to economic expansion and human well-being," the report said. Read more...

This blog is written by Martin Little The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers.

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