A FISH FOR ALL SEASONS: INCREASING AQUACULTURE'S CONTRIBUTION TO GLOBAL FOOD SUPPLY

Human health and socio-economic development are intimately tied to food access and food security. In a world capable of producing sufficient food to meet the entire dietary nutrient needs of all its people, income plays a determinant role in dictating who has access to food or not, with under-nutrition and malnutrition still negatively affecting the health and well- being of many of the world's poorest nations. This article attempts to compare the role played by fish and fishery products (whether derived from wild capture fisheries or aquaculture) in the diet of the world's poorest and richest nations. The data show that fish and fishery products play an essential role in human nutrition, constituting the major source of dietary animal protein consumed within the Asian region and within many lower income countries within the African region.