CONTENTS

1. POST-HARVEST LOSSES ....................................................................................... 1

2. ENHANCED VALUE ADDITION ............................................................................... 3

3. MARKET ACCESS ................................................................................................... 5

4. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 11

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1. POST-HARVEST LOSSES

1. The objective of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 is to ‘Ensure sustainable

consumption and production patterns’, with the more specific Target 12.3 which aims,

“by 2030, to halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and

reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses”.

The SDG target 12.3 relates the reduction of food losses and waste along the whole

food chain to the overarching goal 12 for sustainable production and consumption.

Food losses and waste indicators therefore inform policies that can improve the

efficiency of the value chain, change the behaviour of the various actors to reduce

waste or encourage a better use of food products and by-products. The indicator aims

at measuring the structural losses along the value chain that can be impacted by such

policies.

2. FAO (2011) estimated that food loss and waste for the global fisheries sector

amounted to 35% of total catches. catches, between 9 and 15% of these losses due to

fish discards at sea, mostly in trawl fisheries. However, loss and waste are found along

the whole value chain, from production to the consumer. As shown in the following

graph, in the case of Sub-Saharan Africa countries, 15% of total losses occur at fishing

stage (e.g. discards), 16% during post-harvest operations (e.g. landing, storage,

transportation), 24% during processing operations, 40% during distribution

(deterioration occurring in the market system) and 5% at consumption stage at

household level.

Figure 1: Average % losses from fishing to consumption by households in Sub-Saharan Africa

Source: adapted from FAO (2011)

15%

16%

24%

40%

5%

% of fish and seafood losses in Sub-saharan Africa

Fishing Post-catch Processing Distribution Consumption

2

3. Despite the technical advances and innovations, many countries, especially less

developed economies, still lack adequate infrastructure and services for ensuring fish

quality, such as hygienic landing centres, electric power supply, potable water, roads,

ice, ice plants, cold rooms, refrigerated transport and appropriate processing and

storage facilities. This shortcoming, especially when associated with tropical

temperatures, can result in high post-harvest losses, as fish can spoil in the boat, at

landing, during storage or processing, on the way to market and while awaiting sale. In

Africa, some estimates put post-harvest losses at 20 to 25%, and even up to 50%, and

spoilage can account for more than 70% of the loss (Akande and Diei-Ouadi, 2010).

Losses are also qualitative with products deterioration entailing losses of nutritional

value and risks for consumers in relation to food safety. Throughout the world, post-

harvest fish losses are a major concern and occur in most fish distribution chains.

4. In addition, greater attention is focusing on the loss in the monetary value of fish (not

necessarily a result of loss of fish as food, but a downgrading in first-sale value of

fisheries products). Foregone revenues as a result of loss of monetary value undermine

the stated goal of eliminating rural poverty. The losses in product value are driven by

loss of intrinsic quality of the products due to deterioration with fish sold for lower than

optimum price; and by market forces when for example landings exceed demand,

forcing operators to sell their product at a price below expectations. Balanced supply is

critical in the case of small pelagic fisheries which are subject to high variations

depending on seasonal abundance of the targeted resources.

5. Food losses also undermine the adaptive capacities of vulnerable populations to cope

with climate change through decreased food availability and reduced income.

Moreover, food losses could further increase due to more frequent and intense climate

variability and associated outbreaks of pests and diseases (FAO, 2017).

6. Because of their structural shortcomings, small-scale fisheries incur greater losses

compared with large-scale fisheries (FAO, 2014). As in any food system, losses of fish

affect food security: The socio-economic impact of post-harvest losses is significant for

small-scale fishing communities because the post-harvest domain comprises several

activities at all stages of the supply chain, including handling fish on board, unloading,

processing, storage and distribution. These activities are vital to fishers’ livelihoods and

also provide employment to many rural people including women.

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7. FAO studies (Diei-Ouadi et al. (2015), Wibowo et al. (2017)) have found that 65 % of

postharvest fish loss and waste is due to technical, technological and/or infrastructure

deficiencies, coupled with inadequate knowledge and skill in post-harvest handling.

The remaining 35 % of loss and waste is linked to the social and cultural dimensions

of vulnerability, governance, regulations and their enforcement. However, the analysis

of the drivers (direct or indirect) of losses shows that dimensions of post-harvest losses

are intricate, multifaceted and context-specific. This strengthens the rationale for

assessing post-harvest losses in particular fisheries, locations or value chains in order

to capture their significance and drivers; and design tailored interventions that will make

the most impact in terms of loss reduction.

8. Practical loss reduction initiatives may be based on existing coping strategies, ideas

from specialists and underpinned by investments from Governments or from the private

sector. Intervention may be related to technical or socio-economic change underpinned

by training and awareness campaigns, improvements of the business climate,

institutional capacity building and research. For example, Ndiaye and Diei-Ouadi

(2009) provide a range of simple technical solutions that can contribute to decreased

post-harvest losses from harvest to retail for products landed by small-scale fishermen.

The development of new technologies based on the use of renewable energies can

provide opportunities in some particular context where electricity is not widely available.

An example is the development of cold rooms (40 feet containers) powered by solar

energy that provide innovative low-cost and environment-friendly solutions that can be

deployed at fishing community levels.

9. Also, most importantly, solutions to post-harvest losses may not necessarily always be

technical and may rely on actions outside the post-harvest or the fisheries sector as a

whole. Some losses may be controlled as a result of improved fisheries management

and encouraging changes in fish utilisation such as less fishmeal and more fish for

direct human consumption. For example, fishing communities in West Africa self-

impose catch limits on their artisanal purse seine vessels targeting small pelagics to

avoid over-supply of the markets.

2. ENHANCED VALUE ADDITION

10. Enhanced value addition provides direct and indirect socio-economic benefits for the

fishing communities concerned. With more value being retained at community or

country levels, the contribution of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors to the national

and regional economies increase with positive impacts on jobs (quantity and quality),

in particular in the post-harvest and processing sectors. There are two approaches to

enhance value addition: i) development of new processing industries and ii)

optimisation of existing processing industries.

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11. The development of new processing industries seeks to produce in the country added-

value products that are produced in other countries from imported raw material. For

most ACP States, fisheries products exported are mostly whole products that are used

in other countries to prepare processed products. Development of processing facilities

is by private investments, but Governments have a key role to play to provide an

enabling environment for business development. Whilst countries have strategic

advantages to attract investments such as proximity to fishing grounds or connection

to major maritime commercial routes, the quality of the business climate in the country

is pivotal to attract investors. This is well captured by the World Bank doing business

report (World Bank, 2019) showing that ACP States classified amongst the highest

ranked countries in the world (e.g. Mauritius, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea), or those

having implemented relevant reforms (e.g., Kenya, Ivory Coast, Togo, Rwanda) are

those providing appropriate conditions to attract foreign investments. However, as the

2019 doing business publication shows, most ACP States remain in the last quartile of

the distribution of world economies, with still considerable progresses to achieve to

improve the business climate through Governments’ actions for inter alia infrastructure,

education, tax regimes and justice.

12. Governments have also a key role to play in terms of strategic planning. As the example

below shows in the case of small pelagics, processing techniques have different

impacts on value added generation and on employment. In a nutshell, processing

techniques such as filleting or canning are those requiring the highest amount of

workforce and generating the highest value per tonne processed, while at the end of

the scale, processing small pelagics into fish meal and fish oil is the processing

technology that supports the least number of jobs per tonne processed, and the lowest

value per tonne processed, with, as a consequence, the lowest impacts on the national

economy. Depending on the contexts, Governments should prioritise investments that

have the highest contributions to value-added generation and employment, and

conversely, seek to limit as much as possible investments that do not produce sufficient

socio-economic benefits.

Figure 2: Weight of small pelagics needed to support one job (left) and commercial value of one tonne of small pelagics (right) according to processing techniques

Source: DAI (2015)

0 100 200 300 400

Canning, filleting

Frozen beheaded / gutted fish

Direct consumption

Frozen whole fish

Fish meal and fish oil

Tonnes for 1 job

0 500 1 000 1 500 2 000

Fish meal and fish oil

Freezing onboard

Freezing ashore

Direct consumption

Canning

Filleting

Value for 1 tonne (EUR)

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13. The second axis of intervention to enhance value-addition in the fisheries sector is to

promote optimisation of existing processing operations, in particular small-scale

processing operations implemented by fishing communities. Through reduction of costs

of processing equipment’s and consumables, added value generated may be

increased with positive impacts on income of fishing communities. Fish smoking which

is widely used in Africa for the preservation of catches after landings has received

specific attention over these last few years with improved techniques being promoted

such as the FTT technology1 drawn from the collaborative efforts between the FAO and

the Centre National de Formation des Techniciens de Pêche et de l'Aquaculture

(CNFTPA) training institute in Senegal, or the Chorkor smoking oven developed by the

Food Research Institute of Ghana. These improved smoking techniques require as

much as 50% less wood than used for traditional smoking kilns, while decreasing also

by 50% smoking time. Fish smoked using these advanced techniques also fetch higher

prices due to reduced amounts of tar particles in the final product affecting the taste

and quality of the finished product. In addition to improve livelihoods of fishing

communities, improved smoking techniques have a positive impact on health through

reduced exposure to ambient smoke and reduced contents in polycyclic aromatic

hydrocarbons (PAH) to standards set by the Codex Alimentarius to ensure food safety.

14. While technology is available, experience shows that considerable efforts must be

deployed by Governments and/or development agencies to ensure buy-in of improved

techniques by fishing communities. This entails dedicated communication and training

sessions; and south-south exchanges of experience, with for example, organisation of

study tours to allow visualisation of modernised techniques by representatives of

beneficiary of communities.

3. MARKET ACCESS

Intra-regional trade

15. In Africa, fisheries and aquaculture products are an important commodity subject to

sub-regional trade from countries producing fish in excess of domestic needs to

countries showing a net deficit of their supply balance sheet. For example, small pelagic

fish species landed in West African countries like Senegal or Mauritania are an

important source of supply for neighbouring landlocked countries like Burkina Faso and

Mali or for the large domestic markets of Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroun and Nigeria (DAI,

2015). Historically much of this trade was informal.

16. Results generated through the EU supported FishGov and FishTrade projects

emphasise the importance of harmonising the legal environment to increase the

benefits derived from fish trade. Analysis of trade policy as it relates to fish, using the

African regional trade groupings, has identified a lack of policy frameworks specific to

the fish sector in Africa and thus a failure to address industry-specific aspects of fish

trade. Many policies aim to reduce or eliminate import duties, but are not harmonised

among the different trading blocks. In the absence of effective domestic tax collection

capacity, many national governments rely heavily on trade taxes. This is likely to inhibit

progress on trade tariff harmonisation. The ongoing lack of harmonisation and

enforcement of trade policies and sanitary regulations among African States,

1See -https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzp5NgJ2-dK4NjtP5w3WUe08pBIicoZtF

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underpinned by a lack of understanding of the requirements for minimum quality

standards and for sanitary and phytosanitary certifications to move fish from the country

of origin, continue to hamper the development of intra-regional trade in fish and fishery

products. Consequently, cross-border fish traders adopt informal trade routes.

However, formal trade between African ACP States appeared to improve over the last

few years, as exemplified by the case of Senegal (next figure) who managed to double

the volumes of fisheries products exported to African countries while maintaining

volumes exported to the EU. This increase of trade with other African countries is

reportedly attributed to an improved trade climate and a significant increase in demand

from populated countries. In other regions, the free trade area promoted by the

Southern African Development Community (SADC), the East African Community

(EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) appear to

be on track.

Figure 3: Exports (tonnes) of fisheries products from Senegal by destination

Source: MPAEM Sénégal – Annuaires statistiques International trade

17. EU imports of fisheries and aquaculture products touched a new peak value in 2018,

reaching EUR 25,6 billion. While a large part of imports into the EU originate from

northern European countries (e.g. Norway, Iceland, Russia), in 2018, the value of ACP

States imports into the EU was in excess of EUR 2.5 billion, representing about 10%

of total EU imports. In weight, imports from ACP States into the EU are around 450 000

tonnes of fisheries and aquaculture products As shown in the following graph, the

African group of ACP States is a large supplier of the EU market (EUR 2.2 billion),

preceding the Pacific group of ACP States (EUR 224 million) and the Caribbean group

of ACP States (EUR 114 million).

0

20 000

40 000

60 000

80 000

100 000

120 000

140 000

160 000

Africa EU

Ton

nes

Exports by destination - case of Senegal

2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

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Figure 4: Imports of fisheries and aquaculture products into the EU by groups of ACP States in 2018

Source: COMEXT database Note: Fisheries and aquaculture products include Combined Nomenclature (CN) chapter 03 / Prepared or preserved fisheries products include CN sections 1604 and 1605

18. The dynamics of EU trade with ACP countries shows that the value of ACP States

exports to the EU has steadily increased since 2010, with a progression of 47% for the

African group, 71% for the Caribbean group and as much as 281% for the Pacific group,

making a significant 78% increase in total over the 2010-2018 period. The increased

value of imports from ACP products is underpinned by an increase in quantities

exported (+25% since 2010) coupled with an increase of average prices of products

(+42% since 2010).

Figure 5: Value of ACP imports of fisheries and aquaculture products into the EU

Source : COMEXT database

0

500

1 000

1 500

2 000

2 500

Carribean Pacific Africa

EUR

mil

lio

n

Imports into the EU from ACP States - 2018

Fisheries and aquaculture products Prepared or preserved fisheries products

0

500

1 000

1 500

2 000

2 500

3 000

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

EUR

mil

lio

n

Imports into the EU from ACP States - 2010/2018

Carribean Pacific Africa

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19. To access the EU market, ACP States have to overcome two main technical barriers

stemming from application of two EU regulations, namely the sanitary and

phytosanitary (SPS) standards regulations and the IUU regulation. The increase in

trade demonstrates that despite the challenges faced in meeting EU regulatory

requirements on sanitary standards and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)

fishing, ACP producing countries are increasingly complying with these requirements.

20. Concerning the Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) regulations, exporting States must

have an approved competent sanitary authority to certify compliance with SPS

standards of export supply chains, with access to accredited laboratories for testing the

products. The national legal framework must be adapted to be equivalent to those set

out in EU regulations, with which facilities and establishments through which fisheries

and aquaculture products transit must comply. For small-scale fisheries, compliance

with SPS norms requires considerable investment and implementation of new

practices, such as the conservation of fisheries products in insulated refrigerated boxes

onboard the vessels, improved handling practices upon landing or processing and

implementation of a food safety management system based on HACCP2 principles.

21. SPS regulations are constantly evolving occasioning considerable efforts from ACP

State authorities and operators to adjust in order to keep up with the evolving market

norms. As an example, the EU recently adopted Regulation (EU) 2019/63 that will

impose a ban on using antimicrobials for promoting growth or increasing yield in

aquaculture as from January 2022, with requirements applying to animal aquaculture

products exported from third countries to the EU (Article 118 of Reg (EU) 2019/6).

22. Many ACP States with significant amounts of fisheries and aquaculture products could

successfully designate a competent authority and fulfil the conditions for being in the

list of third countries authorised to export to the EU. This result has been obtained in

part as a result of large EU funded technical assistance programmes including the all

ACP SFP programme (2002-2010) and the recently closed EDES programme (2010-

2016). However, experience from ACP States show that maintaining the conditions for

being authorised to the EU can be onerous. Critical points include, but are not limited

to, ongoing training and recruitment of inspectors and maintenance of an approved

laboratory for testing the products. A study conducted in the Pacific (FFA, 2015)

showed that regional cooperation can contribute to lowering the costs borne by

individual countries, in particular for laboratory testing or training of personnel, while

supporting improved effectiveness of SPS controls. The regional cooperation is now

being implemented with support from the EU. Regional or sub-regional cooperation on

SPS issues could be an avenue to explore by African or Caribbean ACP States.

According to information received, this is already an option explored in some regions

(e.g. Eastern African Community). Cooperation can be also bilateral, with for example

the Mauritanian Competent Authority concluding MoUs with West African countries for

laboratory testing.

2 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical,

and physical hazards in production processes 3 Regulation (EU) 2019/6 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on veterinary medicinal products and repealing Directive 2001/82/EC (Text with EEA relevance). OJ L 4, 7.1.2019

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23. Concerning IUU fishing, the implementation of EU regulation 1005/2008 presents a

significant challenge to ACP States. Even if the IUU regulation offers some flexibility to

partner States for issuing simplified catch certificates for small-scale fisheries products,

States must ensure that small scale vessels at the origin of the products exported were

duly authorised to fish, requiring implementation of traceability systems along the

supply chain. For some African States, traceability of fisheries products destined to the

EU market could be implemented through updated registration and licensing regimes

of small-scale vessels and registration of authorised buyers and processors, as well as

designation of authorised landing site to streamline landings. Note that ACP States

have received considerable assistance from the EU for implementing the IUU

regulation between 2011 and 2013 through a dedicated all ACP programme, and that

both SPS and IUU certifications are considered under the sectoral support programmes

implemented under Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements concluded between

coastal States and the EU.

24. Further complicating the multiplicity of public Non-Tariff Measures, fish exporters have

been increasingly subjected to a wide range of private voluntary standards. These

relate to a range of objectives, including food safety and quality, animal health,

environmental protection, fishery sustainability and social responsibility. The private

standards have emerged in areas where there is a perception that public norms may

not achieve desired outcomes. These include food safety and quality following major

food scares, sustainability and responsible fisheries management, or social and

environmental sustainability. As a consequence, importing food firms, especially

retailers, use their increasing bargaining power vis-à-vis other businesses in the value

chain, to impose certification to private standards. The increasing vertical integration

and complexity of value chains in fish and seafood has also stimulated the growth of

private standards, as business-to-business tools used in the context of procurement

contracts. Complex value chains – where raw materials are sourced globally,

processed in a second country and retailed in yet another – require sophisticated

systems for ensuring traceability and guaranteeing consumer protection from farm/boat

to fork. These traceability and chain of custody systems are built into the frameworks

included in most private standards schemes.

The value chain approach

25. As inferred in the previous sections, issues in relation to product losses, value addition

and market access can be largely addressed through the value-chain approach. This

holistic approach has gained momentum with the development of the intra-ACP blue

growth programme for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chains. The value

chain approach is a market-oriented and systems-based approach for measuring,

analysing and improving the performance of food value chains (FVCs) in ways that help

ensure their economic, social and environmental sustainability. To support value-chain

improvements, FAO created a dedicated knowledge platform4, and the EU published a

methodological brief for value chain analysis5.

4 See http://www.fao.org/sustainable-food-value-chains/home/en/

5 See https://europa.eu/capacity4dev/value-chain-analysis-for-development-vca4d-/documents/methodological-brief-v12

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Key take away messages for the consideration of ACP Fisheries Ministers

Post-harvest loss assessments should be incorporated into national data collection systems and used regularly to inform policies. ACP States are encouraged to implement appropriate mechanisms to monitor losses along the value chain, including physical losses and losses in the monetary value of fish.

Noting that ACP States still have to implement infrastructure programmes to provide operators with decent landing and processing equipment, some post-harvest losses can be addressed through the use of relatively cheap technologies by comparison with an infrastructure programme. This includes Information and Communication Technologies to improve access to information for key market operators, modernisation of traditional processing equipment (i.e. smoking ovens) or development of mobile storage equipment powered by renewable energies (solar, wind).

When considering strategies to increase added-value, ACP States should prioritise investments that have the highest impacts in terms of socio-economic benefits for the national economy and the least environmental impacts and seek to limit investments in processing techniques that may not achieve the desired outcomes in terms of socio-economic benefits and environment preservation.

While evidence shows that technical barriers did not have visible impacts on the level of trade between ACP States and the EU, ACP States still face the challenge of maintaining SPS conditions and IUU conditions up to the (evolving) standards expected by the EU, especially with respect to Small-Scale Fleets. Concerning SPS, ACP States should consider regional cooperation to mutualise costs and increase effectiveness of controls, with particular benefits to be obtained from designating regional laboratory testing facilities. They should ensure that minimum food safety standards are established and applied in the domestic fishery chain. Concerning the IUU regulation, ACP States should consider partnering the EU in the implementation of full digitalisation of the catch certificates in view of the added-value of the transformation from a paper-based system.

The value-chain approach is a relevant methodological tool to comprehensively analyse sustainability of value-chain from fishing net or aquaculture pond to retail stage. ACP States are encouraged to seize the opportunities provided by the intra-ACP blue growth programme for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture to enhance the key value-chains supported by their fisheries and aquaculture sectors

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4. REFERENCES

Akande, G., Diei-Ouadi, Y. (2010) Post-harvest losses in small-scale fisheries: case studies in

five sub-Saharan African countries. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper.

N° 550, Rome, FAO 72p.

DAI (2015) Étude sur l’évolution des pêcheries de petits pélagiques en Afrique du Nord-Ouest

et impacts possibles sur la nutrition et la sécurité alimentaire en Afrique de l’Ouest.

Rapport final. DG DEVCO – ARES(2015)2984964. 93 p.

Diei-Ouadi, Y., Sodoke, B.K., Oduro, F.A., Bokobosso, K., Rosenthal, I. (2015) Strengthening

the performance of post-harvest systems and regional trade in small-scale fisheries:

case study of post-harvest loss reduction in the Volta Basin riparian countries. Fisheries

and Aquaculture Circular. N° 1105, Rome, Italy. 115 pp.

FAO (2011) Global food losses and food waste – Extent, causes and prevention. Rome 37 p.

FAO (2014) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014 - Opportunities and challengs.

FAO Rome, 243 pp.

FAO (2017) Save Food for a Better Climate: converting the food loss and waste challenge into

climate action. FAO Rome. 37 pp.

FFA (2015) Proposal for a Regional Support Unit for Sanitary Competent Authorities in Pacific

Island Countries. EU DEVFISH Programme.

Ndiaye, O., Diei-Ouadi, Y. (2009) De la pirogue à l’étal: équipements améliorés de manutention

et de transformation pour la pêche artisanale. . FAO Document technique sur les

pêches et l’aquaculture. No. 535, Rome, FAO 65 pp.

Wibowo, S., Utomo, B.S.B., Syamdidi, W., A.R.,, Diei-Ouadi, Y., Siar, S., Suuronen, P. (2017)

Case studies on fish loss assessment of small-scale fisheries in Indonesia. FAO

Fisheries and Aquaculture Circular. N° 1129, Rome, FAO 132 pp.

World Bank (2019) Doing Business 2019 - Training for Reform. World Bank Group Flagship

Report. 16th Edition.