WorldFish Digital Repository
WorldFish research is regarded as international public goods, and we are committed to the widespread dissemination of all our information products. One of the organizational objectives of WorldFish is to make all of its products open. This is in line with both the Center’s Research Data Management and Open Access Policy and the CGIAR Open Access and Data Management Policy. Opening our research, including publications, data and tools, ensures that more people can read and apply our research findings, thereby increasing the efficiency, reach and impact of our work.
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Recent Submissions
Climate change and its’ associated weather variabilities and extremes are posing significant risks to aquaculture productivity, particularly in the coastal regions of Bangladesh. Concurrently, the increasing population and shifting consumption patterns are driving higher demand for aquacultural products. This study investigates the impact of floods, heavy rainfall, tidal surges, high temperatures, droughts, erratic rainfall, and water quality parameters (Dissolved Oxygen, ammonia, pH) on investments in “hard” assets, such as specific fish-farm equipment (aquaculture nets, fish cages, thermometers, irrigation pumps), to enhance climate resilience. Additionally, the study explores “soft” investments in information services that provide advanced forecasts on monsoon onset, heavy rainfall, dry spells, high temperature and cold spells. The results indicate that the level of investment in climate-smart aquaculture is currently influenced by climate stresses, investment capacity (farm size, family size), aquaculture system characteristics (pond size and depth, type of fish, aggregate yields), and market-related factors (proximity to roads and markets). In the context of climate-informed decision-making, forecast-based advisory services can facilitate the transition to climate-smart aquaculture. However, the benefits of the information services are often linked to substantial investments in hard infrastructure that ensure the effective utilization of climate information and advisory services. This absence of accessible climate information services and the capacity to invest in climate smart equipment that makes the information actionable, hinder the transition to climate smart aquaculture by smallholder farmers and hence threaten their livelihood and nutritional security.
Egypt has experienced a significant shift in fish production in recent decades, with 79% coming from aquaculture by 2021. However, the impact of this shift on consumer preferences has not been studied, leaving a knowledge gap when developing policies and marketing strategies. This study aimed to identify factors influencing consumer preferences for wild-caught and farmed fish in Egypt and the reasons for these preferences. A survey was conducted among participants (n = 1,100), and data were analyzed using descriptive and binary logistic regression analyses. The findings revealed that Egyptian consumers prefer wild-caught fish, perceiving them to have superior taste, health benefits, and nutritional value compared to farmed fish. These reasons directly influenced consumer preference for wild-caught fish, as evidenced by the statistically significant results. Interestingly, demographic and economic factors, fish consumption frequency, and sources did not significantly impact consumer preferences. Understanding these factors allows for marketing strategies that positively shape consumer behavior and drive demand for farmed fish.
Wholesalers in food value chains in developing countries are often criticized as exploitative, offering high output-tied credit to farmers and insufficient with high loss and waste. Recent research highlights their importance as the "hidden middle", often overlooked in policy debates due to insufficient survey research (Reardon 2015). Aquaculture has rapidly expanded in Bangladesh in four decades, attributed to aquatic food traders and off-farm businesses. However, little is known about wholesalers’ behavior and organization within the 'hidden middle' of aquatic food value chains, impeding result generalization due to inadequate sampling techniques in previous research. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate structure, technological changes, and wholesalers’ performance, informing policy debates on aquatic food value chains in Bangladesh.
The Sustainable Aquaculture and Community Fish Refuge (SAFR) project, which falls under the BMZ Special Initiative “Transformation of Agricultural and Food Systems,” aims to reduce poverty and hunger. Under the BMZ initiative, the Global Programme Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture was launched to improve the availability of fish products for food insecure people and increase employment and incomes. Thanks to contributions from the SAFR, the Cambodia Fisheries Administration was able to meet its goal of establishing
1200 community fish refuges (CFRs) to increase fish production, create jobs and generate income from environmentally friendly rice fields for food insecure people. To achieve this, WorldFish implemented the project CFR component (SAFR-CFR) to establish and improve the 21 CFRs in Kampong Thom. The project
lasted from December 2020 to March 2024.
The project "Piloting Aquaculture in Small Reservoirs in the North-East Region, Ghana" aims to boost fish production through activities like reservoir selection, environmental assessment, permit application, fish cage installation, fingerling stocking, community training in fish farming, water quality monitoring, fish sampling, and postharvest handling training. Its objectives are to improve food security, enhance nutrition, and create sustainable income opportunities for youth and women in the region.
WorldFish Bangladesh Teknaf Office organized a comprehensive training workshop on ecosystem health improvement and biodiversity conservation for 30 Blue Guards at the Alo Resort in Teknaf on February 28. Participants from Teknaf and St.
Sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems: harnessing diversification and improved practices for small-scale farmers. The focus is on sustainable and resilient aquatic food systems, emphasizing diversification and improved practices for small-scale farmers in small-scale aquaculture (SSA).
The diversification of farmed fish species to include improved farmed fish species promise to generate greater gains for rural households and help to address challenges of food and nutrition security in rural India. Adoption of genetically improved farmed fish species, however, depends on the farmers' willingness to pay (WTP) for the related attributes relative to local farmed fish species. We explored fish species preferences among small aquaculture farmers distributed across the central, northern, and southern districts of Odisha, India. Odisha presents an interesting case to understand farmers fish preference given the Indian government's recent policy focus towards fish species diversification to address complex challenges of rural poverty and food & nutrition insecurity. The results showed that farmers are willing to adopt fish species with higher survival rate, and higher growth rate. However, farmers are yet to appreciate exotic species such as GIFT relative to indigenous (Indian Major Carps). This study suggests that policy decisions aimed at enhancing the diversification of farmed fish species should encompass not only providing input subsidies to enable farmers to experiment with improved fish seeds but also dedicating efforts to bolster diversified fingerling supply. This includes both common farmed species and new species, coupled with initiatives to raise awareness of the tangible benefits derived from improved species and promote their market acceptance.
Through Blue Guards eliminating coastal pollutants, Citizen Scientists delivering vital catch data, and adaptive co-management encouraging group marine conservation, USAID's ECOFISH II is driving sustainable fisheries in Bangladesh. By supporting communities, this project is safeguarding marine life for the next generations.
One integral aspect of the project is the formation of Women Income and Nutrition Group (WING) engaging women from targeted fishing households. WING aims to empower its members through nutrition-sensitive alternative income generating activities supported by the implementation of the Business Literacy School (BLS). The project provides WING members with a BLS book, serving as an educational tool for basic literacy and business development. Through carefully structured sessions and exercises, WING members develop foundational skills, including reading and writing the Bangla alphabet, constructing words and sentences, numerical literacy (1-100), and basic arithmetic operations. The BLS book unfolds over 24 sessions scheduled for 12 months (2 sessions/month), inclusive of mid-term and final assessments designed to appraise learning progress. Project recruited and trained local Community Volunteer (CV) facilitate the BLS sessions. The expected results is that, through active participation in discussions during the BLS sessions and practical engagement with the book, WING members will acquire invaluable skills and experiences in reading, writing, and accounting for their income generating activities.
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