TrawlBase

Asians consume more fish than other people. Fish contributes up to 54 per cent of the protein intake in Asian countries. It is a traditional and important staple in the diet of most Asians, being the cheapest form of animal protein.

In 2000 (the best available data) Asia consumed over half of the world's fish products. It currently contributes to over 40 per cent of global fish production, most of which comes from the coastal waters.

It is not surprising then that three of the world's top fish producers are in Asia -- China , India and Indonesia . The others are Spain and Peru .

Fisheries provide a livelihood to some 22 million people in Asia , especially the landless poor. Fish is also a vital source of income to many women who, by tradition, have a major role in processing and marketing the catch.

However, extensive overfishing and industrial pollution are putting unsustainable pressure on coastal fisheries in Asia . Fish stocks have fallen by as much as 30 per cent and people are suffering as a result. Overfishing is likely to become more severe, with demand fast outstripping supply and with prices expected to rise.

There have also been changes in the composition of the fish. The proportion of trash fish -- smaller fish lower down in the food chain -- has increased, while that of larger, more valuable species has declined. Recent studies show that trash fish is now 60 per cent of the catch in the Gulf of Thailand ; 30 to 80 per cent in Vietnam ; and 50 per cent in Peninsular Malaysia.

Worldfish is working with eight Asian countries -- India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam -- to restore threatened fish resources. The “Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia ” project has created national and regional action plans as major first steps to returning the fisheries to sustainability. Much of the fish that are needed to feed Asia's swelling populations will still have to come from the wild, although aquaculture has an important role to play.

Recently, WorldFish, in collaboration with the Malaysian Department of Fisheries, hosted a conference to address the alarming decline of fish stocks in the Southeast Asian country. Tackling the problem requires innovative solutions and WorldFish and partner institutions are working to prevent depletion of this important resource through long-term sustainable and efficient operations, focusing initially on north-western Peninsular Malaysia. The plan calls for co-management by all stakeholders, including fishers and local people.

International collaboration is critical for effective management. By hosting workshops and involving scientists in projects and other efforts, WorldFish has created a region-wide network of fisheries managers and scientists to aid cooperative effort among partner countries.

Another important achievement of the project was the development of FiRST, or Fisheries Resource Information System and Tool, to facilitate data analysis and information sharing for the development of sound policies. Lack of information and scientific knowledge, along with institutional weaknesses and poor governance, has often been a problem in combating stock depletion.

The regional database containing resource surveys was developed with funding from the Asian Development Bank and in collaboration with the eight participating countries. WorldFish is the custodian of the database, which currently contains species abundance data from over 21,000 locations (335,980 records) in the coastal waters of South and Southeast Asia . The data are obtained from trawl surveys reaching back to the 1920s (www.worldfishcenter.org/trawl). FiRST also houses social and economic data on the 10 million people involved in the fishing industry in the eight countries.

WorldFish has provided training to fisheries managers, scientists and others in the use of FiRST to assess and analyze data and apply it to policy analysis and planning. This is to strengthen national institutions' capacity to manage fisheries in sustainable way. Building local competency is a major goal of the project.