Fisheries Exploitation and Utilization

While production from capture fisheries has been stagnating, there are under-utilized resources as well as low-value catches which can contribute to increased food security and employment. Moreover, aquaculture production can only partly fill the gap between demand and supply and requires fishmeal as a feed ingredient. The global potential of capture fisheries includes certain non-conventional resources, which can add to global production, but have remained under-utilized until now. Low value catches constitute another source of food and employment. From the present production by capture fisheries, about one-third is used as raw material for fishmeal and oil industry.

FAO aims at generating policy changes in Member Countries through specific technical advice towards increased production from under-utilized aquatic resources and increased utilization for human consumption of low-value catches. FAO assists cost-effective fishing technologies, on-board handling and vessel design methods for harvesting of small pelagics, small crustaceans (e.g. krill), and mesopelagic recourses. In a like vein, it reviews past and present experiences in the handling, storage and processing of under-utilized species and low-value catches, and the economic/social aspects and associated legal framework in relation to selected geographical areas and species. A network of regional marketing information services - FISH INFOnetwork (which includes INFOPESCA, INFOFISH, INFOSAMAK, INFOPECHE, INFOYU and EASTFISH), coordinated by GLOBEFISH, promotes trade in fish products by providing relevant data on markets, prices, and demands and offers around the world.

Improved post-harvest processing, and marketing and credit, is seen as a way of developing the fishing industry without increasing harvests. As well as reducing losses through poor handling, improved processing can raise the value added of fish products and establish uses of otherwise discarded catch. Food safety remains important and has become increasingly stringent for exported products.

• Icing of Fishery Products (TeleFood)
  
• Improved Drying of Fish (TeleFood)
  
• Improved Smoking of Fish (TeleFood)
  

• Strengthening of Fish Handling, Processing and Quality Assurance (TCP)
  
• Appui à l’amélioration de l’assurance qualité des produits de la pêche (TCP)
  
• Fisheries Marketing and Credit (TF)
  

• Fisheries Department
  
• State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture
  
• Code of Conduct For Responsible Fisheries
  
• FISH INFOnetwork
  
• GLOBEFISH
  
• Fisheries Global Information System (FIGIS)
  
• TeleFood Special Fund (TSF):
  TSF Normative Frameworks and Project Examples