NICHOLAS INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY SOLUTIONS Contribution of Fisheries to Food and Nutrition Security Current Knowledge, Policy, and Research Abigail Bennett*, Pawan Patil‡, Kristin Kleisner§, Doug Rader§, John Virdin†, and Xavier Basurto** Contribution of Fisheries to Food and Nutrition Security Current Knowledge, Policy, and Research CONTENTS Summary In the context of the recently agreed-on United Objective and Approach 4 Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Executive Summary 5 which includes the goal to end hunger, achieve food security, and improve nutrition, this report Background 8 synthesizes current understanding of capture Current Knowledge 12 fisheries’ contributions to food and nutrition security and explores drivers of those contributions. Implications for Public Policy 19 Capture fisheries produce more than 90 million Data and Research 23 metric tons of fish per year, providing the world’s Conclusion 30 growing population with a crucial source of food. Due to the particular nutritional characteristics of Appendix: Extended Data Tables 32 fish, fisheries represent far more than a source of Glossary 35 protein. They provide essential micronutrients— vitamins and minerals—and omega-3 fatty acids, References 37 which are necessary to end malnutrition and reduce the burden of communicable and non- Author Affiliations communicable disease around the world. Yet the *World Food Policy Center, Duke University ‡World Bank contributions of fisheries may be undermined §Environmental Defense Fund by threats such as overfishing, climate change, †Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Duke pollution, and competing uses for freshwater. University **Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Marine Lab To support the food and nutrition security contributions of capture fisheries, policies must be Citation developed both to ensure the sustainability of resources Bennett, Abigail, Pawan Patil, Kristin Kleisner, Doug Rader, John Virdin, and Xavier Basurto. 2018. Contribution of Fisheries to and to recognize tradeoffs and synergies between Food and Nutrition Security: Current Knowledge, Policy, and conservation and food security objectives. A growing Research. NI Report 18-02. Durham, NC: Duke University, http:// body of data and research focused specifically at the nicholasinstitute.duke.edu/publication. intersection of fisheries, nutrition, and food security Acknowledgments can inform such efforts by improving understanding Sarah Zoubek (Associate Director, World Food Policy Center, of fisheries’ production and distributional dimensions, Duke University) and Kelly Brownell (Dean, Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University) led preparation of this report. consumption patterns, and nutritional aspects of fish Stephanie Prufer organized and coded literature sources. in the context of healthy diets and sustainable food Dhushyanth Raju (lead economist, Office of the Chief Economist, systems. This expanding body of knowledge can South Asia Region, World Bank) was an invaluable collaborator. provide a basis for more directly considering fisheries Review in the food and nutrition security policy dialogue. This report was reviewed by Shakuntala Thilsted at WorldFish, Edward Allison at the University of Washington, and Christina This report serves as a contribution to the World Hicks at Lancaster University. Bank’s regional flagship report on ending malnutrition Published by the Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions in South Asia, scheduled for release in October 2018. in 2018. All Rights Reserved. Publication Number: NI Report 18-02 Cover photo: crystaltmc Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions at Duke University is a nonpartisan institute founded in 2005 to help decision makers in government, the private sector, and the nonprofit community address critical environmental challenges. The Nicholas Institute responds to the demand for high-quality and timely data and acts as an “honest broker” in policy debates by convening and fostering open, ongoing dialogue between stakeholders on all sides of the issues and providing policy-relevant analysis based on academic research. The Nicholas Institute’s leadership and staff leverage the broad expertise of Duke University as well as public and private partners worldwide. Since its inception, the Nicholas Institute has earned a distinguished reputation for its innovative approach to developing multilateral, nonpartisan, and economically viable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. nicholasinstitute.duke.edu; General contact: [email protected]; Author: [email protected] World Food Policy Center Operating within Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and under the direction of food expert Kelly Brownell, the World Food Policy Center (WFPC) plays a critical role in catalyzing innovative thinking and coordinated action that is needed to change policy; support strategic, effective solutions, and increase investments needed to end hunger, achieve food security, promote sustainable agriculture, and impact diet-related disease.. wfpc.sanford.duke.edu; General contact: [email protected]; Author: [email protected] Environmental Defense Fund Environmental Defense Fund, a leading international nonprofit organization, creates transformational solutions to the most serious environmental problems. EDF links science, economics, law, and innovative private-sector partnerships. By focusing on strong science, uncommon partnerships and market-based approaches, EDF tackles urgent threats with practical solutions. EDF is one of the world’s largest environmental organizations, with more than two million members and a staff of approximately 700 scientists, economists, policy experts, and other professionals working in 22 geographies around the world on unique projects running across four programs. The organization’s oceans program aims to create thriving, resilient oceans in our lifetimes that provide more fish in the water, more food on the plate and more prosperous fishing communities, even with climate change. edf.org/oceans; General contact: [email protected]; Authors: [email protected], [email protected] Duke University Marine Lab The Duke University Marine Lab is a campus of Duke University and an academic unit within the Nicholas School of the Environment. The Duke Marine Lab has a distinguished record of research and education in marine science, conservation, and governance and a strong international reputation with research interests spanning diverse taxa and including both human and natural systems. The mission of the laboratory is to be at the forefront of understanding marine environmental systems and their conservation and governance through leadership in research, training, communication, inclusion, and diversity. nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab; General contact: [email protected]; Author: [email protected] | 3 OBJECTIVES AND APPROACH Objectives This report synthesizes current understanding of the contributions of capture fisheries to food and nutrition security and explores drivers of those contributions. It addresses three overarching questions: (1) What contributions do capture fisheries make to food and nutrition security? (2) What is the current policy dialogue regarding the links between capture fisheries and food and nutrition security? (3) What data are available to inform research and policy development to support the contributions of capture fisheries to food and nutrition security? The report addresses these questions with the aim of situating dialogue squarely within the science-policy interface. The overall goal is to provide a foundation of knowledge to inform the trajectory of research, policy, and practice that supports the role of capture fisheries in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) to end poverty (SDG1) and hunger (SDG2). Scope Both capture fisheries and aquaculture are important food production systems that can make complementary contributions to food and nutrition security. The primary focus of this report is on fisheries, which provide diverse forms of nutrition to a wide range of people and which face significant threats. This focus addresses SDG14 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development” as the “increasingly adverse impacts of climate change (including ocean acidification), overfishing and marine pollution are jeopardizing recent gains in protecting portions of the world’s oceans” (UN 2015b; 2017, 15). Just as importantly, the emphasis on capture fisheries acknowledges the unique threats to inland fisheries, including invasive species, pollution from agricultural runoff, and competition with other freshwater uses such as hydropower, irrigation, and aquaculture (Youn et al. 2014). However, fully removing aquaculture from discussions of capture fisheries is impossible. First, aquaculture influences the dynamics of capture fisheries in multiple ways. Second, some key data and research do not differentiate between farmed and captured fish. Finally, despite the guidance provided by the definitions included in the glossary of this report, the distinction between aquaculture Graphic credit: Micaela Unda | 4 and capture fisheries is not always clear. For example, culture-based fisheries release hatchery-reared animals into the wild and aquaculture-based capture grows