The food safety is defined as the population's physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their needs and preferences for an active and healthy life.
For this purpose, the fishing and the aquaculture play a key role, as seafood products have allowed the supply of highly nutritious food for the population in the Bay of La Pazthe paper highlights the Food security based on aquaculture-fisheries production systems in the Bay of La Pazby authors Elvia Marín, Pedro Cruz, Fernando Aranceta, Paola Magallón, Adrián Munguía-Vega, Elena Palacios, Silvia Ramírez, Maurilia Rojas, Erika Torres, Ana Trasviña, Melisa Vázquez, which was presented at the ConCiencia La Paz Forum.
"Aquatic resources in the Bay of La Paz represent an important source of nutritious food to satisfy the needs of the local population, as well as to contribute to regional and national food security. We recognize the leading role of fishermen, fish farmers and the scientific vocation to contribute to the resolution of problems in the social and productive sector," state the researchers.
Decline of marine resources due to overfishing
The academic work reveals that in recent decades some of the traditional fishery resources have declined, mainly as a result of overexploitation and sale to regional or international markets.
This has led to the fraudulent sale of products by artisanal fishing substitutes that do not have fishing management programs or measures and could become overexploited without anyone noticing, as well as the entry into the state of low-cost frozen freshwater products, such as tilapia, which do not have the necessary nutritional quality for humans.
"In terms of food security, fishing activity has contributed significantly, mainly through coastal fishing. Fishing is a fundamental economic activity in the development of coastal areas, being relevant for food security, poverty reduction and as a source of employment for more than 56 million people in the world, mainly in small-scale fisheries," the document states.
The research indicates that for more than 20 years overfishing, environmental deterioration, social pressure, inefficiencies, among other problems that compromise the sustainability and well-being of many highly vulnerable communities in Mexico that are highly dependent on fishing.
"Solutions require the collaboration of fishermen and their organizations, governments, civil society organizations and academics, employing knowledge, tools, strategies and management measures that contribute to achieving sustainability," they emphasize.
Statistical information provided by Conapesca highlights that between 2006 and 2021 the average annual catch value is 400 tons, with an average value of 9 million pesos at the beach price.
The fisheries for flake, clams, sharks and rays, scallops, sea cucumber, squid and shrimp are the most important, accounting for more than 90% of production and 92% of value.
The accumulated catches establish that the 10 most important species in common name are chocolate clam, cochito, mackerel, mackerel, red snapper, leg, horse mackerel, sea cucumber and callo de hacha.
Aquaculture also contributes to
In addition to generating jobs, aquaculture contributes to the supply of fresh produce in local stores and restaurants in La Paz, the research highlights.
"At a national level, the municipality of La Paz is among the municipalities that generated the greatest added value in aquaculture and with the greatest participation in personnel employed in aquaculture. Similarly, the state of Baja California Sur has promoted the cultivation of bivalve mollusks, mainly oysters," he says.
Fish farming in La Paz has intensified in the last decade, due to the great interest of private companies that produce farmed jack mackerel, with the collaboration of institutions such as Cibnor and UABCS. Totoaba and red snapper are also produced.
"The case of mollusk farming deserves special mention, since both the National Development Plan 2018-2024 and the BCS State Development Plan 2021-2024 propose it as the aquaculture activity that, due to its low technification and lower costs, could detonate the production of marine resources in coastal communities, favoring the productive reconversion from fishing to aquaculture, contributing to the generation of jobs and food security," the research highlights.
One of the priorities has been to develop the cultivation of native mollusk species such as the callo de hacha, lion's claw clam, Catarina clam, chocolate clam, generous clam, stone oyster, among others.
In their research work, the academics explain the importance of understanding that, in terms of food security, beyond the proposed and ongoing research, it is important to have a real diagnosis of what the inhabitants of La Paz are consuming to meet their food needs in terms of aquatic products.
To this end, they propose gathering information from fishermen and fish farmers to learn about their production and once defined what is caught by cooperative, colony, community; determine how much is destined for self-consumption or family consumption, and thus determine if there are patterns in which there is greater dependence on the marine product depending on its proximity and influence of other food sources.
Source: ConCiencia La Paz Forum
