Regional forum tags aquaculture as key to enhanced food security

High hopes are being expressed for the contribution that aquaculture can make to a more robust response to global hunger-related challenges, according to a recent Caribbean News Global Report.

The conclusion, which is predicated on a regime of decent work and the application of a sustainable model for the enhancement of the sector, was reached at a Technical Meeting on The Future of Work in Aquaculture in the context of the rural economy, held from December 12 to 17 and which brought together representatives from governments, employers and workers at the ILO to discuss the work challenges and opportunities in the aquaculture sector, the report says.

How the news is being responded to in the Caribbean, particularly by member countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is apparently unclear up until now since overall fish imports into the region continue to exceed the catch realised from Caribbean waters.

The underperformance of the aquaculture sector in the region has persisted despite the manifest potential of the sector to do a great deal better. A study done two years ago by the University of California and released earlier this year asserts that the region has the potential to produce over 34 million metric tons of seafood per annum, more than twice what it produces at this time.

Guyana, with its abundant and relatively unpolluted fishing grounds is seen as having the potential to significantly increase its returns from the aquaculture sector. The country’s small farmers produce limited quantities of various species of fish including tilapia, pacu and shrimp, much of which is consumed locally, though seafood production via open sea aquaculture persists, largely with an eye on the export market.

Aquaculture’s growing importance to food security, the report says, reposes in the important contributions which it has made to reducing poverty and hunger in impoverished, mostly rural communities. The report informs that “at least 20.5 million people work in primary aquaculture production while many more are employed further along the aquaculture supply chain.”

In spite of its potential and importance, the aquaculture sector is widely believed to be one of the most-affected economic sectors arising out of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a Caribbean News Global report. “Workers, especially in processing, have been at heightened risk of exposure to the virus, with the long working hours in close quarters and low temperatures. Businesses have struggled to remain viable, which has been reflected in reduced working hours or lay-offs, impacting the livelihoods of workers and their families.”