Training of Trainers - Library - Network of Aquaculture Centres in ...

(7) The promise of genetically-modified food species, while potentially great, is subject to resolution of concernsabout unexpected genetic and ecological consequences.Fig. 1. Schematic representation of three consecutive eras over the pastand coming centuries, showing the changing balance between cerealgrainproduction (– –) and world population size (c). Over the comingcentury there will be tension between yield-enhancing science andpolicies ( ) and yield-diminishing environmentalforces ( ). GM, genetically-modified.Based on the above McMichael proceeded toaddress issues of climate change impacts onfood production, as well as the associatedscenarios on biofuels production for example.Fish and human nutritionHumans and fish have been inextricably linkedfor millennia, not only as an important animalprotein source, providing many millions oflivelihood means and food security at large butalso from an evolutionary view point. Indeed, oneschool of thought has suggested that thedevelopment of the human brain, and hencewhat humans are today, has also been linked tofood sources rich in n- 3 (DHA, EPA) and n- 6(AA) PUFAs - literally fish constituting a majorpart of the diet of our ancestors. In this regard alarge quantum of evidence has been broughtforward to show that Homo sapiens evolved not in a savannah habitat but in a habitat that was rich in fish andshellfish resources (Crawford et al., 1999).The fish production patterns and consumption patterns have changed over the last 30 to 40 years, with bothproduction and consumption being predominant in developing countries (Delgado et al., 2003). Fish, all aquaticproducts, are easily digested, and though perishable are easily processed into various forms avoiding wastage.Most importantly, fish constitute one of the main animal protein sources of the developing world, containing allessential amino acids, thus providing an affordable nutrient source to most rural, impoverished communities. Fishalso provide an excellent source of essential fatty acids, the highly unsaturated acids of the n-3 and n-6 series[e.g. DHA- docosahexaenoic acid, 22(6n-3); EPA- eicasopaentonic acid, 20(5n-3); AA- arachidonic acid, 22(4n-6)]although the amounts of the specific fatty acids present in fish differs markedly between species, and in generalbetween those of marine and freshwater origin. Fish also provide essential micro nutrients in the form of vitamins,mineral (e.g. best sources of iodine and selenium) and some co-enzymes (Q 10), amongst others. Increasingquantum of evidence is becoming available on the health benefits of fish consumption, with clear evidence beingbrought forward with regard to its impacts on common diseases such as cardio vascular related ones (de Deckereet al., 1998; Horrocks and Yeo, 1999; Connor, 2000; Ruxton et al., 2005 amongst others).It is in this respect that there is an increase in fish consumption in the developed world, whereas in the developingworld, in all probability, the driving forces with regard to increased consumption are its affordability and availability.There is clear evidence that both in the developing and developed world fish consumption is on the increase andmore so in the former (Delgado et al., 2003).Traditional fish food suppliesTraditionally, the great bulk of the food fish supplies (conservatively estimated at about 85-90 %) were of marineorigin and it still is but its share is declining. Historical developments of the industrial fisheries, which essentiallywere a post-World War 2 development, have been aptly documented in the past (FAO, 2007). Importantly, now forover four decades, about 25 percent of the industrial fish landings are reduced into fish meal and fish oil, currently7