Introduction

In 1975 a meeting on Expanding the Utilization of Marine Resources for Human Consumption was sponsored by the Norwegian Agency for International Development (NORAD). Another meeting sponsored by NORAD and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations held in Malaysia in 1982 explored ways in which fuller use might be made of fishery products in developing countries. Fishing people who sell their catch to buy other foods use the fish only indirectly for their personal nutrition; for them, the nutritive character of the product they sell is only incidental. The chapter examines ways in which policies might be modified so that fisheries could make a greater contribution to the alleviation of malnutrition. Many observers have suggested that the sea is a bountiful storehouse of food which could be used to help end hunger in the world. The possibilities have sometimes been exaggerated, but there is no doubt that fish and other seafood could be used more effectively.