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Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies

Author

Listed:
  • Christina C. Hicks

    (Lancaster University
    James Cook University)

  • Philippa J. Cohen

    (James Cook University
    WorldFish)

  • Nicholas A. J. Graham

    (Lancaster University
    James Cook University)

  • Kirsty L. Nash

    (University of Tasmania
    University of Tasmania)

  • Edward H. Allison

    (WorldFish
    University of Washington)

  • Coralie D’Lima

    (WorldFish)

  • David J. Mills

    (James Cook University
    WorldFish)

  • Matthew Roscher

    (WorldFish)

  • Shakuntala H. Thilsted

    (WorldFish)

  • Andrew L. Thorne-Lyman

    (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)

  • M. Aaron MacNeil

    (Dalhousie University)

Abstract

Micronutrient deficiencies account for an estimated one million premature deaths annually, and for some nations can reduce gross domestic product1,2 by up to 11%, highlighting the need for food policies that focus on improving nutrition rather than simply increasing the volume of food produced3. People gain nutrients from a varied diet, although fish—which are a rich source of bioavailable micronutrients that are essential to human health4—are often overlooked. A lack of understanding of the nutrient composition of most fish5 and how nutrient yields vary among fisheries has hindered the policy shifts that are needed to effectively harness the potential of fisheries for food and nutrition security6. Here, using the concentration of 7 nutrients in more than 350 species of marine fish, we estimate how environmental and ecological traits predict nutrient content of marine finfish species. We use this predictive model to quantify the global spatial patterns of the concentrations of nutrients in marine fisheries and compare nutrient yields to the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in human populations. We find that species from tropical thermal regimes contain higher concentrations of calcium, iron and zinc; smaller species contain higher concentrations of calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids; and species from cold thermal regimes or those with a pelagic feeding pathway contain higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids. There is no relationship between nutrient concentrations and total fishery yield, highlighting that the nutrient quality of a fishery is determined by the species composition. For a number of countries in which nutrient intakes are inadequate, nutrients available in marine finfish catches exceed the dietary requirements for populations that live within 100 km of the coast, and a fraction of current landings could be particularly impactful for children under 5 years of age. Our analyses suggest that fish-based food strategies have the potential to substantially contribute to global food and nutrition security.

Suggested Citation

  • Christina C. Hicks & Philippa J. Cohen & Nicholas A. J. Graham & Kirsty L. Nash & Edward H. Allison & Coralie D’Lima & David J. Mills & Matthew Roscher & Shakuntala H. Thilsted & Andrew L. Thorne-Lyma, 2019. "Harnessing global fisheries to tackle micronutrient deficiencies," Nature, Nature, vol. 574(7776), pages 95-98, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:574:y:2019:i:7776:d:10.1038_s41586-019-1592-6
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1592-6
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Laura Wessels & Marian Kjellevold & Jeppe Kolding & Cyprian Odoli & Inger Aakre & Felix Reich & Johannes Pucher, 2023. "Putting small fish on the table: the underutilized potential of small indigenous fish to improve food and nutrition security in East Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(4), pages 1025-1039, August.
    2. Oarabile Mogobe & Nashaat M. Mazrui & Mangaliso J. Gondwe & Ketlhatlogile Mosepele & Wellington R. L. Masamba, 2024. "Nutrient composition of common fish species in the Okavango Delta: potential contribution to nutrition security," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19731-19753, August.
    3. Elisa Serviere-Zaragoza & Salvador E. Lluch-Cota & Alejandra Mazariegos-Villarreal & Eduardo F. Balart & Hugo Valencia-Valdez & Lia Celina Méndez-Rodríguez, 2021. "Cadmium, Lead, Copper, Zinc, and Iron Concentration Patterns in Three Marine Fish Species from Two Different Mining Sites inside the Gulf of California, Mexico," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    4. Chaojiao Sun & Alistair J. Hobday & Scott A. Condie & Mark E. Baird & J. Paige Eveson & Jason R. Hartog & Anthony J. Richardson & Andrew D. L. Steven & Karen Wild-Allen & Russell C. Babcock & Dezhou Y, 2022. "Ecological Forecasting and Operational Information Systems Support Sustainable Ocean Management," Forecasting, MDPI, vol. 4(4), pages 1-29, December.
    5. Pellowe, Kara E. & Meacham, Megan & Peterson, Garry D. & Lade, Steven J., 2023. "Global analysis of reef ecosystem services reveals synergies, trade-offs and bundles," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    6. Bassett, Hannah R. & Lau, Jacqueline & Giordano, Christopher & Suri, Sharon K. & Advani, Sahir & Sharan, Sonia, 2021. "Preliminary lessons from COVID-19 disruptions of small-scale fishery supply chains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    7. Lancker, Kira & Bronmann, Julia, 2020. "Quantifying consumers’ love for marine biodiversity," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304214, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Omeje, Julius Emeka & Achike, Anthonia Ifeyinwa & Nwabeze, Godfrey O & Ibiyo, Lenient Mercy O & Jimmy, Samuel Preye, 2023. "Economic Analysis of Locally Produced Aquaculture Feeds with Complements of Plant-based Ingredients in Kainji Lake Basin, Nigeria," Research on World Agricultural Economy, Nan Yang Academy of Sciences Pte Ltd (NASS), vol. 4(1), March.
    9. Amalendu Jyotishi & Joeri Scholtens & Gopakumar Viswanathan & Priya Gupta & Maarten Bavinck, 2021. "A tale of fish in two cities: consumption patterns of low-income households in South India," Journal of Social and Economic Development, Springer;Institute for Social and Economic Change, vol. 23(2), pages 240-257, December.
    10. Bradley, B. & Byrd, K.A. & Atkins, M. & Isa, S.I. & Akintola, S.L. & Fakoya, K.A. & Ene-Obong, H. & Thilsted, S.H., 2020. "Fish in food systems in Nigeria: A review," Monographs, The WorldFish Center, number 40859, April.
    11. Chakraborty, Shamik & Gasparatos, Alexandros & Blasiak, Robert, 2020. "Multiple values for the management and sustainable use of coastal and marine ecosystem services," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    12. Mark E. Capron & Jim R. Stewart & Antoine de Ramon N’Yeurt & Michael D. Chambers & Jang K. Kim & Charles Yarish & Anthony T. Jones & Reginald B. Blaylock & Scott C. James & Rae Fuhrman & Martin T. She, 2020. "Restoring Pre-Industrial CO 2 Levels While Achieving Sustainable Development Goals," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-30, September.
    13. Alvin Slewion Jueseah & Dadi Mar Kristofersson & Tumi Tómasson & Ogmundur Knutsson, 2020. "A Bio-Economic Analysis of the Liberian Coastal Fisheries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-21, November.
    14. Wallner-Hahn, Sieglind & Dahlgren, Malin & de la Torre-Castro, Maricela, 2022. "Linking seagrass ecosystem services to food security: The example of southwestern Madagascar’s small-scale fisheries," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    15. Kira Lancker & Julia Bronnmann, 2022. "Substitution Preferences for Fish in Senegal," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 82(4), pages 1015-1045, August.
    16. Labonnah Farzana Rahman & Mohammad Marufuzzaman & Lubna Alam & Md Azizul Bari & Ussif Rashid Sumaila & Lariyah Mohd Sidek, 2021. "Developing an Ensembled Machine Learning Prediction Model for Marine Fish and Aquaculture Production," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-14, August.
    17. Sarah Harper & Marina Adshade & Vicky W Y Lam & Daniel Pauly & U Rashid Sumaila, 2020. "Valuing invisible catches: Estimating the global contribution by women to small-scale marine capture fisheries production," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(3), pages 1-16, March.
    18. Johnstone O. Omukoto & Nicholas A. J. Graham & Christina C. Hicks, 2024. "Fish contributions toward nutritional security in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(4), pages 951-971, August.
    19. Ana Claudia Santiago de Vasconcellos & Gustavo Hallwass & Jaqueline Gato Bezerra & Angélico Nonato Serrão Aciole & Heloisa Nascimento de Moura Meneses & Marcelo de Oliveira Lima & Iracina Maura de Jes, 2021. "Health Risk Assessment of Mercury Exposure from Fish Consumption in Munduruku Indigenous Communities in the Brazilian Amazon," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-16, July.
    20. Lucinda Middleton & Puji Astuti & Benjamin M. Brown & Julie Brimblecombe & Natasha Stacey, 2024. "“We Don’t Need to Worry Because We Will Find Food Tomorrow”: Local Knowledge and Drivers of Mangroves as a Food System through a Gendered Lens in West Kalimantan, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-21, April.
    21. K. Subramanian & M. Bavinck & J. Scholtens & H. M. Hapke & A. Jyotishi, 2023. "How Seafood Wholesale Markets Matter for Urban Food Security: Evidence from Chennai, India," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(3), pages 579-601, June.
    22. Farmery, Anna K. & Kajlich, Lana & Voyer, Michelle & Bogard, Jessica R. & Duarte, Augustinha, 2020. "Integrating fisheries, food and nutrition – Insights from people and policies in Timor-Leste," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).

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