Bangladesh: About 56% of fish farms in the country's southern region are not practising integrated aquaculture-agriculture (IAA), the farming of aquatic foods such as fish, prawn, and shrimp with agricultural foods such as paddy, vegetables and fruits despite having the scope and space to do so, finds a recent study.

Infographic credit: TBS

The IAA is a form of crop diversification where aquatic and terrestrial foods are grown together on a single piece of land, which according to the study could increase the income and nutritional value of each farm several times.

The study titled "Integrated Aquatic and Terrestrial Food Production Enhances Micronutrient and Economic Productivity for Nutrition-sensitive Food Systems" was published in the journal Nature Food on 4 September. Researchers conducted the study, funded by USAID, on 721 fish farms in Southern districts of Bangladesh and compared economic and nutrient productivity per hectare of land.

According to the study report, around 44% of these farms were found producing other agricultural products alongside doing aquaculture on the same land. These firms are growing fish, prawns and shrimps alongside paddy, vegetables and fruits based on 12 distinct IAA combinations. However, not all those who are doing integrated agriculture are able to earn very well, but it is possible to earn more by cultivating diversified agricultural products with aquaculture, the report says.

Researchers have also identified the most and least profitable models among the 12 integrated agriculture models. The study calculated economic productivity per hectare per year by analysing the models. Among these, the most profitable model has been found where a farm integrated farming of fish, prawns and shrimp with paddy, vegetables and fruits. Such farms earn USD 4 379 per hectare per year. Those farms with integrated farming of fish and prawns with paddy, vegetables and fruits earn USD 3 947.The least economically productive model has been where farms integrated farming of fish with paddy and earn USD 1 249 and farms with fish with paddy, vegetables and fruits earn USD 1 335.

It is widely recognised that producing more diverse foods can improve the nutritional status of smallholder households, either by providing nutritious foods for them to consume or by providing foods for sale, the earnings from which can be used to buy nutritious food, the study report said. It said that farmers who are earning less through combined farming and those who are not practising combined farming also have an opportunity to increase their income and thereby increase their nutritional intake, it said. The researchers said it is possible to increase the production of firms by diversifying these IAA models further, an initiative that should be spread to firms through policymakers. This study was funded by Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is part of the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega Deltas.

Dr Liz Ignowksi, a postdoctoral fellow at WorldFish and the paper's lead author, said: "Our study introduces a new nutrition-sensitive metric for agricultural productivity. This approach allows us to explore the relationship between economic and nutrient productivity across a range of existing farming systems in southwest Bangladesh. “The results provide an intuitive measure of nutrient sensitivity that may be easily understood by researchers and policymakers and mobilized by development practitioners and food producers," Liz added. ‍The study found that, among aquatic food combinations, production of only fish is most common at 39%, followed by fish, prawn and shrimp at 29%, fish and prawn at 26%, and fish and shrimp at 8%. Among the studied households, 96% produce some carp species, 83% produce unstocked fish species, 82% produce other stocked fish and 59% produce crustaceans.

Hazrat Ali, a PhD student at Bangladesh Agricultural University and senior research analyst with WorldFish, said, "Our approach can be used to identify possible improvements to farming practices such as facilitating the entry of nutritionally and economically productive unstocked fish species into ponds or identifying suitable candidate fish species for domestication via investments in fish breeding research. “However, researchers said the IAA models do not work in high-salinity areas, but they will play an effective role in medium and low-salinity areas. The study found that farms, where aquaculture is integrated with terrestrial crop production, tend to produce larger quantities of a broader range of nutrients than farms producing only fish. Some aquatic foods like shrimp are associated with higher incomes but don't supply many nutrients. Some other crops like green leafy vegetables, okra, gourds, long beans, coconuts, and fish species such as puti (freshwater burb), tengra (indigenous catfish) and catla (Indian Major Carp) make particularly important contributions to micronutrient supply, and can also generate incomes, the study revealed.

Dr Ben Belton, a research fellow at IFPRI, said: "We find strong empirical evidence that production diversity associated with the integration of aquatic and terrestrial foods can be beneficial for both economic and nutrient productivity for smallholder farmers."

Source: TBS News; Dated: 12 September 2023.

MALAYSIA: In Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia, IPNLF’s Fisheries Director Roy Bealey, experienced firsthand the intricacies and complexity of the local fishing practices and gained direct insights into local fishers' obstacles and their aspirations for a more sustainable future. Many of these remote communities face similar challenges such as a scarcity of ice to preserve the quality of their catch, inequitable market dynamics, and limited control over the value chain. IPNLF’s experience in working with remote fishing communities in other parts of the world where they face similar challenges opens opportunities for knowledge exchanges and solutions-based technical innovation to combat climate change, reduce post-harvest losses and improve fish quality, ultimately benefitting these small-scale tuna fisheries.

 “Site visits like these are an integral part of what we do at IPNLF, designed to collect valuable information from the ground and understand first-hand fishers' determination to overcome their challenges and how we can establish a collective voice. As we collectively navigate complexities of the industry, we strive to ensure that these fishers’ efforts are recognised, their catch valued, and their livelihoods preserved for generations to come" said Roy Bealey, Fisheries Director, IPNLF.

 "The Department of Fisheries Malaysia were very pleased to host the recent site visit, following up on discussions I previously had with IPNLF staff about opportunities to improve the performance, sustainability and trade opportunities for our local one-by-one tuna fishers. We have skilled tuna fishers traditionally using one-by-one tuna fishing gears in Malaysia who are very eager to receive further support in improving their fishing practices, and we hope IPNLF will also be able to engage its global network of members in global seafood supply chains to reward fisher improvements with access to premium markets that can promote the financial security and livelihoods of our local tuna fishing communities" said by Arthur Besther Sujang, Senior Fisheries Officer.

Source: https://ipnlf.org/ipnlf-expands-to-new-geographies-supporting-the-aims-of-the-common-oceans-program/; 24 August, 2023.

Papua New Guinea: Fisher communities living along the coastlines and islands of the Bismarck Sea in northwest Papua New Guinea started to receive new engine-mounted craft boats. The new equipment helps improve communities' livelihood and well-being, which mainly depends on coastal fishing.The support, provided by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), is part of the EU-funded STREIT PNG Programme to drive the sustainable development of agri-food value chains, improve diets, enrich nutrition, and support food security in rural communities.

Under this work plan, eight 23 ft craft boats with 40 HP outboard motor engines, and fishing and safety gears were recently handed over to coastal and island fishing groups in Vanimo-Green and Aitape-Lumi districts of West Sepik Province. The recipient groups were selected based on the criteria agreed upon between the Provincial Fisheries and Marine Resources Office and the EU-STREIT PNG programme.

“For the coastal and island people of the Sepik Region, engine-mounted crafts boats are essential assets as a means of transportation and also for ferrying of processed fish to the town markets and customers,” explained the FAO Fisheries Officer, Mohammed Zakir, adding “the Programme is committed to facilitating the access of fishing communities to markets and assisting them in improving existing transport safety and equipment.” “This intervention will help to sustainably increase the catch and profitability of fish business while also contributing significantly to food security and nutrition at the household level.”

Among the beneficiaries who received an engine-mounted craft boat was Angela Passingan, the Chairlady of BAMA Women’s Group of Ulau Village, which is located along the coastline of Aitape East LLG. She said, “Through the European Union STREIT PNG Programme, we are able to get this support. The purpose of this boat is to assist our people, especially the mothers, children and youth in the village, with the supply of protein, fish, and also to provide job opportunities in fish capturing and selling for youths who completed Grades 8, 10 and 12 and are doing nothing in the village.”

Appreciating the EU-funded project for the support, the Acting District Administrator for Aitape, Mr Job Tomur, said: “I like to take this time to thank the European Union through the STREIT PNG Programme. Through them, these groups received this support. We must use these boats to catch more fish, transport to market and sell to make more money because there is money in fish that can contribute to grow our economy here.”

Before the handover, FAO coordinated a capacity development training for skippers and crews of fisher groups on ‘basic operations of 2-stroke engines’ so that they can confidently conduct basic troubleshooting and regular service and maintenance for their engines to be sustained in the long run. The upskill training also covered health and safety operations. The participants also learned how to identify and distinguish counterfeit and genuine spare parts, understand different propellers depending on the load, and use specifically manufactured engine oil to mix with the fuel, which is critical to avoid engine problems.

The support by FAO under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, also includes major investment in developing the capacity of the beneficiaries as well as the introduction of improved techniques, equipment and facilities for better production, processing and marketing of fish among fisher communities and fisheries enterprises. Led by FAO, the EU-STREIT PNG Programme is the largest grant-funded Programme of the European Union in the country. The Programme focuses on increasing sustainable and inclusive economic development of rural areas through increasing the economic returns and opportunities from cocoa, vanilla and fisheries value chains and strengthening and improving the efficiency of value chain enablers.

Source: https://reliefweb.int/report/papua-new-guinea/fao-steps-support-coastal-and-island-fisher-communities-papua-new-guinea