Nature has created many things in the world of which again many are
known to us and many are unknown. Fish is an item which contains omega-3 fatty
acids. Incidentally our bodies don't produce omega-3 fatty acids so we should
get them through the food. Two omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish - EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).These
essential nutrients keep our heart and brain healthy. In addition,
fish provides nutrients and micronutrients that are essential to cognitive and
physical development, especially for the children. Fish is popular in the world
and many varieties are available. In India fish is popular among the Bengali,
Assamese, Odia, Malayali, many tribes of north-east and others. It is commonly
said that most of the festivals and functions like marriage, house-warming
etc., Bengali people irrespective of caste offer fish to the guests. However,
fish supplies are failing to meet demand and there are major shortages in some
critically poor countries where they are needed most. Worldwide, little more
than 250 million people depend directly on fisheries and aquaculture for their
livelihoods and millions are employed in fisheries and aquaculture value chains
such as processing or marketing. Many poor people often rely on fishing as a
primary source of income. These small-scale fishers are particularly vulnerable
as fish stocks diminish. Increased productivity from sustainable fisheries and
aquaculture can be a driver for rural development by mitigating risks to
livelihoods and contributing to income generation and employment. Improving the
productivity of fisheries and aquaculture is vital to reduce hunger and poverty
for millions in the developing world. Sustainable, productive fisheries and
aquaculture improve food and nutrition security, increase income and improve
livelihoods, promote economic growth and protect our environment and natural
resources. Anyway, Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Report on “Life below
water Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources”
(www.fao.org/sdg-progress-report/en/#sdg-14) portrays gloomy picture about
fishery. Few points are presented from the Report. The first and foremost point
is that, “Oceans are the world’s largest ecosystem, home to nearly a million
known species, and play a vital role in regulating the global climate system.
However, their ability to continue supporting the global population’s economic,
social and environmental needs is being compromised. Despite some efforts in
conserving oceans, decades of irresponsible exploitation have led to an
alarming level of degradation. The sustainability of global fishery resources
continues to decline, though at a reduced rate, and while many countries have
made progress in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, a more
concerted effort is needed. Increased support for small-scale fishers will be
critical in light of the coronavirus pandemic to allow them to continue earning
a livelihood and nourishing local communities”. Few other important points are:
Ø Although
global marine fish landings is relatively steady at around 80 million
tonnes since 1995, the sustainability of world fishery resources has been
declining.
Ø The
proportion of fish stocks sustainably declined from 90 percent in 1974 to 65.8
percent in 2017.
Ø The good
news is that despite the continuous deterioration, the rate of decline has
slowed down over the past decade.
Ø Geographically,
there are great variations in the proportion of sustainable fish stocks.
Ø Some
regions are experiencing significant increases in fishing on their stocks.
Others have good rates of stock recovery.
Ø In 2017,
the Mediterranean and Black Sea continued to have the highest percentage of
stocks fished at unsustainable levels (62.5 percent), followed by the Southeast
Pacific (54.5 percent) and Southwest Atlantic (53.3 percent). On the other
hand, the Eastern Central Pacific, Southwest Pacific, Northeast Pacific, and
Western Central Pacific had the lowest proportion (13–22 percent) of stocks
fished at biologically unsustainable levels.
Before winding up, I wish to mention that in 1975, WorldFish was set up
as an international, non-profit research organization with headquarters in
Penang, Malaysia, and offices in Asia, Africa, and the Pacific. WorldFish’s
mission is to harness the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce
poverty and hunger in developing countries. It is evident that worldwide
different organisations have been working to scale up fish production. Also in
the context of our country, it may be mentioned that the National Fisheries
Development Board (NFDB) was established in 2006 as an autonomous organization
under the administrative control of the Department of Fisheries, Ministry of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India to enhance fish
production and productivity in the country and to coordinate fishery
development in an integrated and holistic manner. An extensive range of fishery
development activities viz., intensive aquaculture in ponds and tanks, culture
based capture fisheries in reservoirs, Coastal Aquaculture, Marine-culture,
SeaWeed cultivation, establishment of infrastructure, fishing harbours and fish
landing centres, fishing dressing centres and solar drying of fish, domestic
marketing, deep sea fishing and tuna processing, ornamental fisheries, trout
culture, artificial reefs technology upgradation and capacity building of
fishermen and fish farmers are being supported through the State
Governments/Implementing agencies.
The following websites have also been consulted while writing
the article:
1)
https://www.google.com/search?q=importance+of+fish&rlz
2)
https://www.worldfishcenter.org/why-fish
3)
http://nfdb.gov.in
