Courtesy of WorldFishing.net:
A new paper published in the peer-reviewed Food Policy journal recommends that the nutritional importance of fish, especially in resource-poor populations, needs to be taken into account in the development of national policies.
The paper ‘Sustaining healthy diets: The role of capture fisheries and aquaculture for improving nutrition in the post-2015 era’ says that improving fisheries and aquaculture with the adoption of nutrition-sensitive policies are critical means to achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).
These SDGs make achieving food security and ending malnutrition a global priority. However, the importance of fish for feeding our growing global population and providing a ‘healthy life for all’ is often overlooked says the paper.
Shakuntala Thilsted, programme leader, WorldFish, said: “Fisheries and aquaculture must be seen as core components of the agriculture sector, as well as an entry point for multi-sectoral interventions aimed at improving nutrition and health outcomes.”
A greater focus on nutrition-sensitive policies in aquaculture and fisheries as opposed to policies that focus on productivity will contribute to greater health gains, especially in developing countries, the paper says.
Fisheries policies, the paper highlights, are increasingly articulated around building exports, meaning that less fish is available in poorer local communities.
The benefits of fish for health are well demonstrated. Fish intake is associated with a 36% reduced mortality risk from heart disease and consumption of 60g fish/day is associated with a 12% reduction in mortality.
An increasing number of countries are recommending minimum levels of regular fish consumption in their national dietary guidelines.
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