As we produce more fish now than ever before, we must prioritize the safety of the fish we produce. Fisheries educators, scientists, and researchers must work together toward this goal
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN, Bangladesh is one of the leading fish producers in the world. It ranks third for fish production in inland open-water bodies and fifth for closed-water body fish production.
Bangladesh is also the leading country in the production of hilsa and ranks fourth in the production of tilapia in the world. Moreover, Bangladesh’s per capita daily fish consumption rate has increased to 63 grams, which is 5% higher than the annual target of 60g/day per capita.
The contribution of the fisheries sector to the national economic development of Bangladesh is undeniable, as it is a major source of animal protein and creates employment opportunities. It also achieves food security, earns foreign exchange, and promotes socio-economic development.
More than 12% of the population is directly or indirectly involved in various activities in the fisheries sector for their livelihood. More than 60% of the country’s population gets their necessary animal protein from fish and fish products. The fisheries sector contributes to 2.51% of the total GDP and 21.8% of the agricultural GDP in Bangladesh.
However, despite the achievements of the fisheries sector, the quality of fish or fish products in Bangladesh is often a concern. The use of formalin for long-term preservation and freshness, the use of liquid silica gel to increase weight, the use of chemical pesticides in fish production, the use of hormones or antibiotics as growth promoters in fish feed, inadequate hygiene practices in fish sales. and levels of processing, and the presence of heavy metals in fish are some of the obstacles that can pose serious health risks in the long term. These hinder the consumption of quality, safe fish, negatively impact fish producers, and often threaten export markets.
As people’s income increases and they become more health conscious with better access to knowledge through the free flow of information, they are likely to show more interest in getting safe food, even more it is expensive to buy.
On the other hand, food security cannot be achieved without food safety. Given the health risks, economic and social harms of consuming unsafe food and the growing interest in safe food, a research project titled “Improving Food Safety in Fish and Chicken Value Chains of Bangladesh” is being conducted with the financial assistance of USAID and Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Safety (FSIL).
A group of renowned researchers from Texas State University, US, Bangladesh Agricultural University, University of Dhaka, and Bangladesh Food Safety Authority are leading the project.
One of the goals of the project is to explore the extent of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of people involved in the production, marketing, and consumption of safe food, especially safe fish and poultry. This will help researchers design and implement various trainings and workshops accordingly and encourage government stakeholders to formulate effective policies. Another goal is to produce pangasius, tilapia, and rohu fish by applying safer fish feed produced under improved management in the private feed industry to determine how much safer it is than fish farmed under conventional feed management in terms of health risks.
At the same time, the project aims to assess the willingness to pay (WTP) of consumers for fish produced in safe food management through the auction process, communicate this to policy makers, and provide advice to promote safe fish farming.
For this reason, in the first phase, the researchers involved in the project prepared feed without any antibiotics, hormones, growth promoters, or feed additives through a local food production company.
They planted tilapia and pangasius in two ponds in Phulpur upazila and rohu fish in one pond in Muktagacha upazila of Mymensingh. After the production of the fish, the necessary lab tests are performed to check how much safer it is than conventional fish farming, such as the presence and level of harmful bacteria and microbes, antibiotic residues, and heavy metals .
Fish produced under their management proved to be safer. The tilapia and pangas auctions were then held in Mymensingh, Patuakhali, and Narayanganj in the presence of 135 buyers of various income levels, and the Rohu fish auction was in the presence of 94 buyers in Mymensingh and Narayanganj.
Tilapia, pangas, and rohu fish were displayed in different containers for auction purposes. Fish are bought from local markets or farmed in safer ways. In the first stage of the auction, buyers were asked to bid on the price based on the size and color of the fish without knowing which fish was safer. Buyers are willing to pay an average of Tk161, Tk142, and Tk303 per kilogram of farmed tilapia, pangas, and rohu fish, respectively. These prices are 29%, 10%, and 21% higher than fish purchased from the local market.
After lab test results were reported, consumers were asked to reprice the displayed fish based on that information. Consumers then bought safer farmed tilapia, pangas, and rohu fish at average prices of Tk186, Tk166, and Tk317, respectively.
These prices are 52%, 39%, and 34% higher than the bid price of fish purchased from the local retail market. This shows that consumers are willing to pay more for safer fish if they have sufficient information from trusted sources about the products’ safety features.
The researchers confirmed that consumers are willing to change their purchasing behavior based on the quality or safety of fish products. However, it is a challenge to accurately estimate the production value of fish farmed under food safe management compared to conventional farming.
Another challenge is how fishermen can sell relatively safe fish in the market with confidence.
To address these challenges, the researchers decided to farm fish in the second stage by applying feed prepared by a commercial feed manufacturing company. This company can help produce feed without using antibiotics, hormones, growth promoters, or feed additives according to the recommendations of fisheries scientists.
Spectra Hexa Feed Limited has agreed to help the team by providing a safe supply of feed which is actually a new feed formulation.
In the second phase of fish farming, it was observed that the cost of fish production was reduced by Tk2.5 per kg due to the purchase of newly formulated safe feed. Moreover, if this fish feed is sold commercially, there is an opportunity to reduce the production cost by another Tk5 per kg, which means a total of Tk7.5 less in terms of feed costs. Growth rate and time to reach marketable fish size also appeared highly desirable.
Based on the results of phase one and two, fish farmers will probably earn more than before if they produce safer fish. However, the challenge is to ensure that a specific consumer group buys safer fish.
If this can be guaranteed, it will be possible to ensure an uninterrupted supply of relatively safe fish. Another challenge is who will conduct the necessary lab tests and provide safety or quality certification or labeling of how the fish was produced safely and where. More research is needed on this matter to get the full picture.
Government policy makers and related ministries must take the lead to address the challenges of producing safe fish. Labeling of fish and fish products as safe should be done to provide adequate incentives and sales assurance to fish farmers.
Additionally, a market of buyers or consumers with sufficient purchasing power and willingness to pay more for safe fish needs to be created. A supply chain must also be established to safely transport fish from farm to market.
As we produce more fish now than ever before, we must prioritize the safety of the fish we produce. Fisheries educators, scientists, and researchers must work together toward this goal. Consumers also have a role to play by being aware of the importance of buying safe fish, even if it costs less. By working together, we can achieve the goal of producing safe fish as soon as possible.
Dr Md Saidur Rahman is a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, and principal investigator of the “Improving Food Safety in Fish and Chicken Value Chains of Bangladesh” project.
Md Farid Dewan is a PhD fellow in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University.
