Slipping through the net: can poor people benefit from the international fisheries trade?

The global export value of fisheries products is around €60 billion annually and growing. This trade has significant implications for poor people in Asia, where fisheries provide food and income for poor, marginalised people.

Research by Poseidon Aquatic Resources Management, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific and the STREAM Initiative, investigates how the international trade in fisheries products relates to poverty alleviation and the lives of poor aquatic resource users in Asia.

Trade in fisheries products between Asia and Europe provides income and food to millions of poor people in marginalised and landless coastal communities, often the poorest and most vulnerable community members. In Vietnam, the poorest groups in the shrimp sector include shrimp fishermen, labourers in shrimp farming households and women workers in processing companies. These groups are particularly vulnerable to changes in the global shrimp market.

In Indonesia and the Philippines, people who catch fish for the ornamental fish trade are often poorly organised and lack appropriate equipment. They often suffer from poor health and depend solely on the trade to support their family. They cannot easily change their livelihoods because of limited alternatives.

The research shows:

• Institutions responsibile for the aquatic resource and seafood sectors are often poorly developed in developing countries, with limited capacity to manage the risks and influences of international trade.
• In Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia, institutions and policies do not effectively reflect or address the key influences on poor producers and farmers.
• Factors relating to both domestic and international trade can affect poor producers and increase their vulnerability. Issues relating to wider non-trade issues, such as governance, marginalisation and levels of financial capacity, can also be influential.

The influences from international trade include increasingly strict environmental, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standards, technical barriers to trade and declining prices for some seafood commodities and live marine ornamentals. For example, environmental certification initiatives and corporate social responsibility provide opportunities for poor producers. However, they also risk further marginalising very poor people who are unable to take part in such schemes, due to cost barriers and difficulties of poor people becoming effectively organised.

The research identifies several policy lessons:

• The importance of trade in aquatic resources for poor people should be included more widely in national poverty reduction strategies.
• Assisting poor traders by focussing on the quality and reliability of supplies may be more effective than attempts at pro-poor branding or certification.
• Policies assisting poor producers should include incentives and support for sustainable capture and production methods, improved social organisation, access to market information and improvements in handling, storage and transport processes.
• Developing country governments need support to analyse and understand people’s livelihoods and how best to support them. This would result in better policies and enable poor people to better adapt and respond to trade developments.
• Improved trade policies must be supported by wider initiatives related to good governance and local management of resources.

Source(s):
‘The International Seafood Trade: supporting sustainable livelihoods among poor aquatic resource users in Asia,’ Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd (UK), the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific and the STREAM Initiative, Synthesis Report with Pro-Poor Trade Research Findings and Policy Recommendations, by G. Macfadyen, M. Phillips and G. Haylor, 2005 Full document.

Funded by: DFID under the European Community’s Poverty Reduction Effectiveness Programme (Grant Number EP/R03/014)

id21 Research Highlight: 6 March 2006

Further Information:
Graeme Macfadyen
Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd
308 Rue d’Arbere
01220 Divonne Les Bains
France

Tel: +33 450 206805
Fax: +33 450 206805
Contact the contributor: Graeme@consult-poseidon.com

Poseidon Aquatic Resources Management

Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific

STREAM Initiative

Other related links:
'Tackling illegal fishing practices in Africa’s protected waters'

'Shrimp farming at the cross roads'

id21 insights #59 'Harnessing trade for development'

oneFish - fisheries research portal