Small pelagic fish supply abundant and affordable micronutrients to low- and middle-income countries

Robinson, James P. W. and Mills, David J. and Asiedu, Godfred Ameyaw and Byrd, Kendra and Mancha Cisneros, Maria del Mar and Cohen, Philippa J. and Fiorella, Kathryn J. and Graham, Nicholas A. J. and MacNeil, M. Aaron and Maire, Eva and Mbaru, Emmanuel K. and Nico, Gianluigi and Omukoto, Johnstone O. and Simmance, Fiona and Hicks, Christina C. (2022) Small pelagic fish supply abundant and affordable micronutrients to low- and middle-income countries. Nature Food, 3. pp. 1075-1084. ISSN 2662-1355

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Abstract

Wild-caught fish provide an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients in food-insecure places. Fishers catch thousands of species, yet the diversity of aquatic foods is often categorized homogeneously as ‘fish’, obscuring an understanding of which species supply affordable, nutritious and abundant food. Here, we use catch, economic and nutrient data on 2,348 species to identify the most affordable and nutritious fish in 39 low- and middle-income countries. We find that a 100 g portion of fish cost between 10 and 30% of the cheapest daily diet, with small pelagic fish (herring, sardine, anchovy) being the cheapest nutritious fish in 72% of countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, where nutrient deficiencies are rising,