Fisheries

A JICA counterpart (center) provides guidance on aquaculture as part of the Project for the Extension of Inland Aquaculture in Benin.

The fisheries industry is a key sector for developing countries from the perspectives of a stable food supply, providing job opportunities, increasing incomes and stimulating the economy of a country or region. At the same time, the industry faces the problem of resources diminishing and becoming depleted through poor management and environmental degradation. In particular, it is important not only to develop the fishing industry but also to develop the fishing villages in order to improve their livelihood as coastal regions often tend to suffer from chronic poverty.

Cooperation in the fisheries industry has three main objectives: ensure the stable supply of food to local people, eliminate malnutrition by providing valuable nutrition and reduce poverty by providing a livelihood to the poor. Appropriate preservation and management of fisheries resources are prerequisites to achieving these objectives and key to the development of fishing villages based on sustainable utilization of these resources. JICA is working toward the following three goals with these ideas in mind: (1) Vitality in local fishing communities, (2) Stable food supply (effective utilization of fisheries resources), and (3) Appropriate preservation and management of fisheries resources.

(1) Vitality in Local Fishing Communities

The key to alleviating chronic poverty and bringing vitality to fishing communities is to provide support focusing on stabilizing household income. This can be accomplished through the correct and sustainable management of fisheries resources and appropriate technology selection. A comprehensive approach is required, including vitalization of agricultural and other industries, and provision of education and health services.

JICA supports efficient management and cost reduction of fishing activities by such measures as the construction of fish markets and strengthening of fishermen organizations. JICA also works to improve the capacity of fisheries organizations as well as activities by women's groups in small fishing villages, from fish processing to sales. Other efforts focus on introducing extensive fish farming that can be implemented with relatively simple techniques and at minimal cost, providing instruction on basic processing techniques and disseminating these techniques, and promoting joint sales through fisheries cooperatives. These initiatives aim to diversify income sources for small-scale fishermen.

(2) Stable Food Supply (Effective Utilization of Fisheries Resources)

Developing countries face the serious problem of food shortage due to rapidly rising populations, which puts further pressure on capturing fisheries resources. In recent years, it is estimated that the world's total fish catch has almost reached permissible limits. On the other hand, according to an estimate by FAO (2007), there is still margin to use approximately 20% of aquatic resources if attention is paid to unused resources and to uneven distribution since some regions have the ability to develop those resources whereas others do not. As such, it is necessary to develop appropriate ways to catch and use fish, and to proliferate these techniques.

JICA supports the development of extensive fish farming using traditional low-cost techniques from the perspective of securing animal protein intake in light of the severe conditions of marine resources. In inland water aquaculture, JICA supports the combination of agriculture and livestock with fish farming for carp, tilapia and catfish by making use of ponds, paddy fields and irrigation canals. JICA also assists with the relatively simple ocean aquaculture of seaweed and shellfish. Elsewhere, efforts are made to construct facilities to promote and proliferate aquaculture and toward the integrated education of researchers, engineers, promoters and other human resources in this field.

Certain marine products rot easily in warm temperatures and go to waste. It is estimated that up to one-third of these products are not used as food. Ultimately, for that reason, JICA promotes the effective utilization of fisheries resources by supporting efforts to improve the freshness and quality of marine products. This includes establishing distribution facilities such as fishing ports and fish markets that incorporate fishing platforms and cold storage facilities, and improving techniques for preservation such as freezing, canning, drying and smoking.

(3) Appropriate Preservation and Management of Fisheries Resources

According to FAO statistics, 28% of marine resources are being overfished, and it warns that resources are dwindling fast. However, unlike mineral resources, fisheries resources actively propagate and grow within the natural environment as long as catches can be controlled within certain limits. To make the most of this, it is important to restrict usage to an appropriate level in developing countries to maintain volume, which will enable a sustainable fisheries industry.

Work has been done on fisheries resource management for the past 10 years in developed countries through experimentation and with a sizeable budget and number of human resources. It has shown that in developing countries, it is important to first raise awareness among administrative circles and fishermen. This means developing scientific data and promoting broad cross-border initiatives that focus not only on the fisheries industry but also on preservation of the marine environment as well as the management of rivers and forests upstream. These efforts to conserve marine resources must be taken from a long-term perspective with consideration of land and marine ecosystems.

JICA supports the collection and analysis of catch data, which is essential for the preservation and management of fisheries resources, as well as the development of statistics for the fisheries industry. In addition, JICA supports the formulation of fishing management systems in administration and enhanced operating capacity from the standpoints of fisheries resource management and fish environment preservation. This entails increasing awareness through a participatory approach that includes fishermen and local residents. With the cooperation of coastal fishing communities, JICA works to regenerate and preserve seaweed beds, which nurture fisheries resources, and to recover resources through artificial production and discharge of experimental seedlings.