Major Constraints to Satisfying Increasing Demand for Fish

June 13, 2023 Agric4Profits

There are major constraints to the realization of maximum utilization of resources to meet increasing demand for fish. Some of these factors shall only be highlighted here while details about some of them shall be well discussed in subsequent units. These factors include:

(i) Poaching by non-registered vessels and illegal transshipment of catches have reduced the availability of fish and fishery products to consumers in the West African countries.

(ii) Low per capita income has also made a number of fish and fishery products inaccessible to the majority of the population.

(iii) Extension of national jurisdiction over resources has deprived long distant fleets of coastal states with high population density from gaining access to their former traditional fishing grounds. Conditions for access are stiff and beyond the capacity of the developing neighbouring states in the region to satisfy.

(iv) Continuous use of traditional fishing gears and crude methods of preservation of excess catch resulting in poor quality of fishery products.

(v) Disincentive to production increasing arising from high operational costs e.g. In fuel, spare parts, and general maintenance of vessels.