Proceedings of the Expert Workshop on Estimating Food Loss and Wasted Resources from Gillnet and Trammel Net Fishing Operations, 8-10 April 2015, Cochin, India

Abstract

Food is lost during all stages along supply chains of capture fishery products, during capture operations, post-harvest handling and processing, storage, distribution and consumption. Reducing food loss increases the sustainable production of fishery resources, supporting the long-term capacity to provide food, and increases economic opportunities for the capture fisheries sector. Gillnets and trammel nets are main fishing gears used in tropical fisheries associated with significant loss of fishery resources and food during fishing operations.

The Indian Council for Agricultural Research – Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) convened the Expert Workshop on Estimating Food Loss and Wasted Resources from Gillnet and Trammel Net Fishing Operations in Cochin, India, from 8 to 10 April 2015. Sixteen experts from 9 countries participated.

FAO’s Fishing Operations and Technology Branch prepared a background paper and distributed it to workshop participants in advance of the meeting, providing a starting point for discussion during the workshop. This paper included as an appendix a draft data collection form for an assessment of food loss during gillnet and trammel net fishing operations. ICAR-CIFT conducted a trial of this draft methodology and produced a report providing recommendations for modifying the draft form. Working groups discussed this draft methodology for assessing food loss and wasted resources and the trial findings, and the outputs were presented during the plenary.

The participating experts each provided 15-minute presentations on gillnet and trammel net fishing in their country, addressing: the main characteristics and extent of such fisheries in their country; catch quantities and composition; estimated quantities of resources lost, wasted or discarded in these fisheries; and causes of losses/waste and discarding.

The case studies from different countries pointed out the occurrence of food loss from gillnet and trammel net fisheries. However, there is a lack of information (qualitative and quantitative) on food loss and resources waste. Hence, it was decided to assess the level of food loss and resource wastage from such fisheries in selected countries on a pilot project basis, to analyse the findings, and to refine the methodology for assessment of the food loss and wasted resources from selected fisheries.