A new study by WorldFish, the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources and the University of Queensland provides information on the role of nearshore fish-aggregating devices (FADs) for food security and livelihoods in Solomon Islands, a nation that depends on coastal fisheries for food and nutrition security. In Solomon Islands, it is projected that coastal fisheries will not be able to supply the fish needed to meet increasing demand without improved coastal fisheries management and alternative sources of fish.
Nearshore FADs are moored, floating objects used to aggregate oceanic fish such as tuna. In Solomon Islands they are located close to shore to be easily accessed by fishers, including those using paddle canoes. Nearshore FADs make tuna easier to catch for fishers and can provide an alternative to reef-based fisheries.
The study, funded by New Zealand Aid through the Mekem Strong Solomon Islands Fisheries Programme, showed that nearshore FADs increased the supply of fish to rural communities, providing them with more fish for household consumption, income and community feasts.
The study also notes that, while FADs can increase the supply of fish, their transient nature brings risks from reliance on them, leading to, for example, less time spent on more consistent means of food production such as gardening.
The report concludes that FADs, while a useful mechanism for increasing the supply of fish, are not a technical panacea that alone can ensure more resilient livelihoods for rural islanders. Rather, they can be considered as part of a toolkit for fisheries management within broader rural development and planning processes.
The findings of the study have been used by the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to help inform the development of a national nearshore FAD program.
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WorldFish, a member of the CGIAR Consortium, is an international, nonprofit research organization committed to reducing poverty and hunger through fisheries and aquaculture.
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CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by the 15 research centers who are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.
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