This April, the SSF community lost a dear friend and colleague, Paul Onyango. Paul was a passionate campaigner for the rights of small-scale fishing communities who believed in the power of “invisible presences” in dealing with poverty.
We invite members of the DFM community to celebrate Paul’s memory and commemorate his contributions to the world of SSF research. Professor Svein Jentoft, Paul’s academic supervisor, has written a tribute on behalf of TBTI that you can read here: http://toobigtoignore.net/a-tribute-to-paul-onyango/.
We are very excited to announce the publication of “Dried fish at the intersection of food science, economy, and culture: A global survey” in the journal Fish and Fisheries. This major literature survey from the Dried Fish Matters project is the result of a collaborative effort to catalogue and analyze more than 1100 publications directly concerning dried fish.
Our survey demonstrates the important and varied nature of the contributions that dried fish make to the food and nutrition security, health, livelihoods, and social and cultural well-being of people around the world. Among the three thematic categories of food, economic, and cultural values that we elaborate in this survey, we find the dried fish literature most heavily focused on food value, followed by economic value. The importance of social relational and aesthetic values of dried fish for consuming populations thus merit much greater attention. Other major lacunae are the ecological relations on which dried fish economies depend and attention to questions of political economy and governance that are required to assure the sector continues to supply adequate, nutritious, and safe foods, in ways that are sustainable and just. Without the sustainability of fisheries as a natural resource, all values of dried fish are undermined.
Thematic cluster
Themes
Examples of subthemes
Items in dried fish sample
Food value
Food scienceFood and nutrition security and health
Food safetyChemical analysisDerivative product development
75% (N = 851)
Economic value
Value chains, economy, and labourEcology
International tradeLabourValue chainsMicroeconomicsPolitical ecology
23% (N = 264)
Cultural heritage value
Culture and social relationsHistory and change
CultureSocial relationsWell-beingFood and cookingGender
18% (N = 208)
Thematic hierarchy. Percentages indicate the proportion of all references that are tagged with themes that fall within the thematic cluster. As references may be given multiple tags from across the thematic areas, percentages in this column do not total 100%
This Open Access paper is available to read and download free of charge from publisher website.
Thematic intersections in the literature on dried fish: Major themes and illustrative questions suggested by the literature survey (click to enlarge)
Abstract
Dried fish—here defined broadly as aquatic animals preserved using simple techniques, such as sun-drying, salting, fermentation, and smoking that permit storage as foods at ambient temperature for extended periods without specialized packaging—have received little direct attention in fisheries research. This lack of visibility belies their historical and contemporary importance. Prior to the introduction of refrigeration, dried fish were the main form in which fisheries catches were traded and consumed. Dried fish products remain a core component of production, trade, diets, and cuisines across the world, particularly in the Global South. The dried fish sector provides employment for millions of people, particularly women, who comprise most of the fish-drying workforce in many locations. However, the sector also confronts and creates significant challenges including food safety concerns and exploitative labour conditions. This paper is the first systematic assessment of the global literature on dried fish, comprised of a sample of >1100 references. In contrast to the general fisheries literature, which is dominated by studies of ecology and governance and focusses mainly on primary production, the dried fish literature is dominated by studies from food science and concentrates on the processing segment of fish value chains. As such, it offers valuable reference point for fisheries research, which is becoming increasingly attentive to food systems. This paper uncovers a wealth of insights buried in this largely unheralded literature, and identifies key thematic intersections, gaps and research questions that remain to be addressed in the study of dried fish.
Reference
Belton, Ben, Derek Johnson, Eric Thrift, Jonah Olsen, Mostafa Hossain, and Shakuntala Thilsted. 2022. “Dried Fish at the Intersection of Food Science, Economy, and Culture: A Global Survey.” Fish and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12664.
University of Ottawa graduate student Colleen Cranmer created this infographic to present the goals and achievements of the SSHRC-funded Dried Fish Matters Partnership, which will be supporting her research in Cambodia. Thanks to Colleen for building awareness of our Partnership and its impacts!
This paper is the first among the series of analytical write-ups that we plan to bring out as part of the Gujarat regional component of the Dried Fish Matters research project. In this paper we review some of the major policies and institutional arrangements that are critical for understanding the social economy of fisheries, especially marine fisheries, in the state. The paper is divided into two sections. In section one, we present a brief overview of the trajectory of the evolution of fisheries sector policies at the national level since they broadly define the context of our discussion. In section two, we will elaborate on the Gujarat case. Our focus here will be to interrogate the broader philosophy that guides Gujarat’s approach to fisheries development in recent years.
Location of Gujarat in India. Wikimedia Commons / File:Gujarat_in_India.svg / CC-BY-SA 3.0.
Gujarat is a major maritime state in India with a long and rich history of trans-oceanic trade relationships. The state has also been a major marine fish producer in India ever since it was reorganized as a separate linguistic state in 1960. It is one of the last maritime states to have enacted the marine fishery regulation focused on the development of the sector. The Gujarat Fisheries Act 2003 provides for the protection, conservation, and development of fisheries as well as regulation of fishing in the inland and territorial waters along the coastline of the state.
The Office of the Commissioner of Fisheries, located within the Department of Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Cooperation of the government of Gujarat, is the nodal department for the regulation and development of fishing activities in the state. The Department regulates the registration of fishing boats (as per Merchant Shipping Act, 1958) and granting of fishing licenses (as per Gujarat Fisheries Act, 2003).
The Gujarat Fisheries Central Co-operative Association Limited (GFCCA), the apex body of the fishermen cooperatives in the state, is the main agency that implements the fishery development projects in the state and the chief conduit for the flow of governmental and institutional assistance to the fisherfolk.
An important policy initiative taken by the state government that can positively impact Gujarat’s fisheries industry is the framing of a policy for agro-business development (the Comprehensive Agro-Business (AB) Policy – 2016-21) and the Chief Minister’s Mission on Food Processing. The CMFP mission underscores the importance of food and nutritional security and food safety and promises to add capacities to the system through capital infusion, technology transfer, skill upgradation as also enhance employment opportunities on a wider scale. This is an opportune moment to get some of the long-neglected concerns of small-scale producers engaged in low-end processing of fish, including curing/drying included in the state’s agenda.
The DFM Bangladesh team, consisting of researchers from Bangladesh Agricultural University and Jahangirnagar University, has produced a study mapping the key locations for dried fish processing and trade in Bangladesh.
The dried fish sector of Bangladesh contributes significantly to the country’s economy. Processing and trading activities are spread across Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Sylhet-Mymensingh-Comilla and Khulna-Barisal-Patuakhali regions. The DFM Bangladesh research team visited each of these sites to identify its overall importance and unique characteristics.
Key locations include Nazirar Tek (marine processing), Asadgonj (trade), the drying yards of the Sunamgonj Haor basin and Chalan Beel areas (freshwater drying), and Lalpur (the largest fermentation site). These sites were recommended for in-depth research on the dried fish economy in relation to factors including production/trade volume, stakeholders involved, and cross-cutting issues like gender, labour, ecological sustainability, and vulnerability. Dublar Char was recommended for follow-up research due to its remoteness, production volume, and distinct issues of child and bonded labour.
Key locations of fish processing and trade in Bangladesh
Key findings
There are four general categories of dried fish processing and trading sites in Bangladesh.
Drying (marine fish) yards: Marine drying operations are referred to as “Khola” or “Kila”, which often shift based on raw material availability, accessibility, landing facilities, and other physical conveniences. The drying season varies slightly from site to site.
Drying (freshwater) yards: Women and children labourers are widely involved in the fish processing process. Many of these workers remain unpaid, especially in the case of household labour supporting dangi owners or managers.
Fermenting (marine & freshwater) yards: There are hundreds of women mainly involved in processing puti (cutting and gutting) in Lalpur.
Trading (marine & freshwater) centers: Dried fish produced in Bangladesh is traded through a relatively small number of assembly markets.
Unequal power relationships in the dried fish value chain is a significant area of concern to be addressed in future studies. Producers have little to no influence over marketing and supply, which are controlled by large-scale traders, brokers, and supermarket companies. Price distortions in the domestic market, created by these large-scale actors, erode profitability for primary producers.
Marine fish drying on stages in Nazirar Tek. Photo – MH
Reference
Hossain, M A R, Mirza Taslima Sultana, Sayeed Ferdous, Md. Samsul Alam, Rasheda Akhtar, Md. Siddiqur Rahman, Md. Shahjahan, and Mahmudul H Sumon. 2022. “Key Locations: Dry Fish Processing and Trading in Bangladesh.” Working Paper 10. Dried Fish Matters. The University of Manitoba / Bangladesh Agricultural University / Jahangirnagar University.
The history of dried fish with its significance in the Bengal area starts from the medieval era. Dried fish got to India via the port cities such as Bombay, Visakhapatnam and Chennai by the inter-state and intra-state trades with the railways in the mid-19th century. Popularly known as ‘Shutki’, dried fish is emblematic to the cultural oneness of (dis)integrated Bengal wherein Bengalis either relished dried fish with uncompromising endearment or rejected it because of the repugnant odor of a decaying fish.
The scoping research focused on two coastal districts of West Bengal: South 24 Parganas and East Medinipur.
Key findings
Small-scale fishers and labourers from neighbouring villages convene to work at camps known as “shabars”. Workers at these camps come from diverse social backgrounds. Women at these camps are often engaged through exploitative “no-work-no-pay” contracts and do not receive additional payment for overtime labour.
At Fraserguni – women workers are sorting fishes. Source: Raktima Ghosh
The Egra market in East Medinipur is the largest dried fish market of West Bengal. Consumers prefer unsalted dried fish, and they are willing to pay for hygienically prepared dried fish with desirable features.
The makeshift practices of fish drying have resulted in a condition of “making a living in transience” which necessitates ongoing adaptations. Socially and culturally significant events are focal points in the system of dry fish production, despite not being recognized by the formal administrative and legal systems.
While there is documented evidence that indigenous fish species are in decline due to commercial overfishing and unsustainable processing, the onus is borne by artisanal small-scale fishers, who face legal barriers, challenges and often outright prohibition of their established practices.
Fish drying arrangements at Baliara shabar in Frasergunj village, Indian Sundarbans. The Ganga temple is socially and territorially a part of the shabar. Source: Raktima Ghosh.
Land tenure is a dominant concern for dried fish producers in West Bengal.
Recommendations
The report recommends co-management, co-monitoring, and partnership as imperatives within formal dried fish management to generate species recovery and enhance sustainability of the dried fish system. The authors also advise an Interactive Governance approach to effectively identify and support opportunities in the dried fish sector of West Bengal.
Reference
Ghosh, Raktima, Jenia Mukherjee, Amrita Sen, Souradip Pathak, Anuradha Choudry, and Shreyashi Bhattacharya. 2022. “Dried Fish in West Bengal, India: Scoping Report.” DFM Working Papers. The University of Manitoba & Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur.
Team IIT Kharagpur and Sundarban Jana Sramjibi Manch (SJSM) in conversation with inhabitants of Tipligheri village (Gosaba block) during their January field visit at the Sundarbans.
Retailer selling multiple varieties of dried fish in Mon State
The patterns of dried fish consumption in Myanmar varies across the country in terms of types and quantity of products. Regardless of their importance as a source of human nutrition and cultural value, there have been no dedicated studies of dried fish consumption in the country. Thus, the DFM Myanmar team consisting of Ben Belton, and Network Activities Group NAG conducted a study of dried fish consumption in Myanmar especially in the areas where NAG offices are located between October 2019 and March 2020.
The study areas cover the three geographical zones of Myanmar, the Delta and Coastal Region, the Dry Zone, and the Hill. The Delta and Coastal Region includes Ayeyarwady, Yangon and Bago regions and Mon State.
Map of surveyed townships
Key findings
Almost every respondent household (94%) except in Northern Shan had consumed at least one type of fresh or processed fish at least once in the last seven days.
Processed fish was slightly more likely to be consumed than fresh fish across seven of the eight surveyed states and regions.
The most consumed fish product was fermented fish products followed by dried fish and dried shrimp, and they were the most frequently consumed. Nga-pi-yay (liquid fish paste) is the most eaten fermented fish product, particularly in the Delta and Coastal Region.
Dried fish were the second most common category of processed fish product consumed, and 45 species of dried fish were identified. Many respondents reported being unable to identify the species.
Average annual per capita ‘dried fish’ consumption (in the broad sense, including all aquatic animal products processed to aid preservation at ambient temperatures) was consistently high, ranging from 13.2-16.4 kg in Delta and Coastal, Mandalay and Kayin, and 8 kg in Sagaing, but only 2 kg/capita in Shan North.
The study is the first ever dedicated large-scale survey of dried fish consumption habits in Myanmar. It reveals numerous important insights into role and significance of dried fish consumption in the country, which might be missed or underreported when using less specialized survey instruments, with important implications for the design of future surveys.
Reference
Lin, Si Thu, Ben Belton, and Wae Win Khaing. 2022. “Myanmar Dried Fish Consumption Survey.” Dried Fish Matters.
Microplastics are carried into the Bay of Bengal by three major riverine systems, which carry contaminants from hundreds of rivers originating in Bangladesh and neighbouring countries. These plastics are also introduced through the breakdown of fishing lines and nets that have been lost at sea, which are driven to shallow coastal waters through ocean currents. Improper disposal of plastic waste along the popular tourist beaches of Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata also contributes to pollution in the Bay of Bengal.
The identification of microplastics in dried Bombay duck and ribbon fish is highly troubling. These fish products are typically consumed whole, causing potentially toxic microplastics to enter the bodies of human consumers and to accumulate in their organs.
Millions of people in Bangladesh regularly consume dried fish, and the country is producing increasing quantities of plastics. Yet the effects on many millions of consumers of regularly ingesting microplastics with dried fish are unknown. Consumers in Bangladesh are largely unaware of the possible dangers, and the government has not established a system for monitoring microplastics in food products.
In light of the high levels of microplastics contamination identified in the present study, the authors recommend that the relevant ministries and government departments work together to identify long-term solutions to the potentially grave risks posed by the increasing presence of microplastics in dried fish and other food products.
Microscopic images of selected microplastics: a, b & c – fibers; d, e & f – fragments; g, h & i – films; j – microbeads; k – pellets; and l – foams.
Highlights
Microplastics (MP) were identified in the two most common marine dried fish products in Bangladesh.
High levels of MP were found in all samples of both fish species from two locations.
Fibers were the most common type of MP identified.
ATR-FTIR analysis of dried fish samples revealed polymer types of polyethylene, polystyrene and polyamide.
MP in dried fish may be transferred to the human body through consumption, with unknown health effects.
Abstract
We examined microplastics (MP) in two commercially important dried fish, Bombay duck (Harpadon nehereus) and ribbon fish (Trichiurus lepturus), collected from two sites on the Bay of Bengal (Cox’s Bazar and Kuakata). The number of MP found in dried Bombay duck and ribbon fish from Kuakata was significantly higher (41.33 g−1 and 46.00 g−1, respectively) than the MP present in samples collected from Cox’s Bazar (28.54 g−1 and 34.17 g−1, respectively). Fibers were the most common type of MP identified in all samples (41–64%), followed by fragments (22–34%), microbeads (9–16%), films (3–4%), foams (1–4%), and pellets (0–2%). ATR-FTIR analysis revealed three different types of MP polymer – polyethylene (35–45%), polystyrene (20–30%) and polyamide (30–45%) in the dried fish samples. The study confirms the presence of high MP loads in dried fish from the Bay of Bengal, with high potential of trophic transfer of MP to the human body.
Citation
Hasan, Jabed, SM Majharul Islam, Md Samsul Alam, Derek Johnson, Ben Belton, Mostafa Ali Reza Hossain, and Md Shahjahan. 2022. “Presence of Microplastics in Two Common Dried Marine Fish Species from Bangladesh.” Marine Pollution Bulletin 176: 113430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113430
