Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission

COLLECTED PAPERS OF THE APFIC REGIONAL WORKSHOP "LOW VALUE AND TRASH FISH IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION"
Hanoi, Viet Nam, 7- 9 June 2005

This document contains the background papers presented at the APFIC Regional Workshop on "Low value and 'trash fish' in the Asia-Pacific Region" convened in Hanoi, Viet Nam 7-9 June 2005.

The term "trash fish" is an inadequate term to describe the range of issues and different relative importance of the fish species caught that are collectively termed "trash fish" within the Asia-Pacific region. The term "trash fish" is used differently in different countries referring to fish that is only used for livestock/fish food in some cases, while in others it covers both livestock/fish food and human food. Inland small/low economic value fish share the same issues as coastal small/low economic value fish and their importance as human food, particularly for the rural and coastal poor is increasingly recognized.

Due to the diversity of terminology and the sometimes subjective use of the word "trash fish", the workshop recommended the use of an overarching term "low value/trash fish" in order to discuss the important issues and not become trapped in extended discussions over terminology. In these collected papers, The use of the term trash fish has been left as it was provided by the author to recognize the different uses of the term prior to the workshop.

The study has two objectives. First is to compare the two marine fishery censuses of 1985 and 1995 in terms of sociological, demographic and economic changes, as well as fishing craft and gear. Second is to survey current small-scale fishing villages: Ban Sai Dang, Ranong province, and Koh Maphrao, Phuket province regarding the same aspects, as the censuses. The ultimate aim of the survey is to find out if the fishermen have any potential to participate in or to manage integrated coastal zone management (ICZM).

The field survey found that the people in Koh Maphrao village are all Muslim Thai, most of whom speak both Thai and the local dialect. to speak official Thai language. Formal organizations are few but working. The population is older than that of Sai Dang village, with about three children per family. The villagers have very good knowledge, attitude and practice of family planning, despite the older generation' objection against it. There is a clear division of labour between men and women. The heads of household are almost all fishermen, whereas their spouses tab latex to make smoked rubber sheets and some mend fishing nets. The craft are inboard-powered fishing boats and the majority of the gear are sand whiting gill nets. Though fish are depleting and the catches declining, the villagers maintain economic status despite the economic crisis because of the higher prices fetched by the catches.

The people in Sai Dang village are Buddhist Thai; some of them migrated from other regions and there is a sprinkling of newly migrated Burmese families. The village has the same number of formal organizations as Koh Maphrao, but are not as active. Migration has resulted in the population being newer and less socially cohesive than Koh Maphrao's. They also have very good knowledge and practice of family planning; each family has on average two children. The occupations of the heads of household are more diversified and the proportion of fishing families is lower than among their counterparts in Koh Maphrao. The women are mostly housewives, some engage in primary post-harvest processing. The families are poorer than in Koh Maphrao; more than half engage in either orchards or other service occupations. Fishing families also have inboard-powered boats, but the main gear are crab and fish traps.

The survey is supplemented by in-depth interviews of four people of two generations in each village as well as of officials of various ministries at the provincial level. The conclusion of the study is that the embers of the small-scale fishing communities do not have the knowledge, confidence and ability to set up and manage their own integrated coastal zone management as yet.

Fish and fishery products are among the most traded food commodities today and this trade is likely to increase to meet the ever increasing-demand for fish and seafood. Yet, one of the most serious difficulties facing exporters is the different quality and safety standards and policies imposed by importers. These disparities concern regulations, standards and procedures, including border controls where seafood products can be rejected, destroyed or detained. In order to promote harmonization and equivalence among seafood-trading nations, such differences need to be reduced and ultimately removed and replaced by international control systems and standards based on scientific techniques such as risk assessment.

This document analyses seafood detentions and rejections in international trade focusing on the four largest fish and seafood importers - Canada, the European Union, Japan and the United States of America. It includes a general introduction, followed by a description of the international regulatory framework and current import regulations for each area. Examples of problem border cases are given, covering a wide range of factors from the type of problem (i.e. microbial, chemical), to species, geography and product category (i.e. fresh, frozen, cured), and an analysis of the relevant data for trends and patterns is made. The document ends with a view towards the future, providing recommendations on what should change in order to improve fish safety and quality controls in international trade and examining the potential role of industry, governments and international bodies in this process.

Capture-based aquaculture" defines and reviews certain practices that are shared between aquaculture and capture fisheries. It specifically considers the on-growing of fattening of four species groups - eels, groupers, tunas and yellowtails - which is based on the use of wild-caught "seed". The report begins with an introduction on the overlap between aquaculture and fisheries and their global trends. Chapters on the four species group follow and include information on species identification, fishery trends, the supply and transfer of "seed" for stocking purposes, aquaculture trends, culture systems, feeds and feeding regimes, fish health, harvesting and marketing. Further chapters examine the environmental and socio-economic impacts of capture-based aquaculture, together with the relevant fisheries and aquaculture management issues. Finally, the report looks at food safety issues, as well as identifies topics for future consideration. The principal targeted audience includes policy-makers, administrators and trainers in the fields of aquaculture, fisheries and the environment

Ebbers, T. & Gregory, R. (2008). Capacity development for improving the knowledge base for fisheries management in Southeast Asia