Do small‐scale fisheries have the capacity to provide food security to coastal populations?

Abstract

AbstractWhilst total global fisheries landed catches declined from 1950 to 2016, small‐scale fisheries (SSFs) landed catches increased. Amongst SSFs landed catches, approximately 95% are consumed domestically. Taken together, these highlight the importance of the potential for SSFs to contribute to food security and well‐being of coastal populations, particularly in Developing Economy Countries (DECs). We used the Sea Around Us database to evaluate long‐term trends of marine SSFs landed catches in 85 DECs. We analyse whether yields from SSFs have the capacity to provide the coastal populations of DECs with a recommended annual intake (RAI) of 10.6 kg of fish per person, and how that capacity has changed over the period of 1960 to 2016. We show that landed catches of SSFs increased in the majority of DECs evaluated from 1950 to 2016. However, in 2016, over one‐third of SSFs in DECs assessed did not have the capacity to provide the RAI of fish to coastal communities, and 64% of all SSFs assessed are exhibiting significant declines in their capacity to fulfil this need. Regional trends in providing RAI were highly variable, putting the long‐term sustainability and capacity of SSFs to contribute meaningfully to food security in doubt. This study demonstrates that landed catches of SSFs alone are not a useful proxy for food security. Implementation of proven effective management practices, policies to improve accessibility and consumption patterns, and the prioritization of small‐scale wild‐caught fisheries are needed to ensure the food security of billions of people in coastal communities.