By Alice Lamb –  

The global impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic have been varied and widespread, creating crises that threaten global food security [1]. According to a UN report, the number of people who don’t have enough food to eat rose steeply during the pandemic to almost a third of the world [2], juxtaposing with the many who bought excessively, putting stress on the food sector [3]. Love et al. (2021) [4] produced a journal article addressing emerging Covid-19 impacts on the seafood sector, studying disruptions and responses, and collecting seafood production, trade and retail sales through to June 2, 2020.

Figure 1- Fishing with nets and bamboo in Goalpara. Image: Siddharthdhodapkar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where were the impacts most felt?

Globally, we catch or farm 80 million tonnes of fish annually [5]. Fish stocks are under huge pressure [6] which the pandemic has exacerbated, as the article highlights [4]. The origin of the pandemic in China was particularly punishing due to the country being the world’s giant in terms of production, consumption and exportation of seafood [7]. Research methods analysed China’s domestic fish sales at 147 wholesale markets to show early impacts of lockdown, in addition to shifts in trade and EU seafood imports. When China banned imports of live animals in January 2020, this massively impacted trade in many countries [4].

It was found that the impacts were first felt in China but quickly spread worldwide, highlighting how local issues can quickly become global, as well as the globalisation of the food industry.[8] Furthermore, disruptions in some regions were magnified by existing problems, including climate change [9] and economic instability, conveying the interconnectedness of global issues. Many low-income countries rely on the seafood sector for nutrients and work, including India, whose nationwide lockdown forced the closure of processing plants and feed mills, leading to a sharp drop in demand from major economic powers.[4] Therefore, Covid-19 has highlighted the vulnerability of the many dependent on, or working within, the seafood sector. 

What were the responses to the crisis?

The article found that the range of complex impacts has been met with diverse responses. Whilst Government responses exposed tensions, the need for NGOs to support them was apparent. Similarly, small-scale fisheries were forced to employ long-term adaptive strategies to build resilience [4].

What is the future of the sector?

Three key concepts were identified to guide the adaptive cycle process: identifying resilience and power imbalances in seafood systems; transition from short-term to long-term adaptation; and avoiding the mistakes of past responses [4]. However, optimistically, the pandemic has forced the consideration of eating locally and a variety of fish, due to global shortages [10].

Ultimately, the resilience within the sector is reliant upon early coping and adaptive responses, and lessons from previous shocks to prepare for the future and the inevitability of another obstacle in the path of feeding the world. It’s absolutely crucial that there’s an understanding of the complex interplay across the sector to help institutions better respond to future shocks [4].

References and further reading

[1]Adjognon, G.S., Bloem, J.R. and Sanoh, A. (2021) The coronavirus pandemic and food security: Evidence from Mali. Food Policy, 101, 1-13.

[2] The Guardian (2021) Almost one in three globally go hungry during pandemic- UN. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/12/almost-one-in-three-globally-go-hungry-during-pandemic-un [22.11.21]

[3] The Guardian (2020) From panic buying to food banks: how Britain fed itself in the first phase of coronavirus. https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/jun/21/from-panic-buying-to-food-banks-how-britain-fed-itself-in-the-first-phase-of-coronavirus [22.11.21]

[4] Love, D.C., Allison, E.H., Asche, F., Belton, B., Cottrell, R.S., Froehlich, H.E., Gephart, J.A., Hicks, C.C., Little, D.C., Nussbaumer, E.M., Pinto da Silva, P., Poulain, F., Rubio, A., Stoll, J.S., Tlusty, M.F., Thorne-Lyman, A.L., Troell, M. and Zhang, W. (2021) Emerging COVID-19 impacts, responses, and lessons for building resilience in the seafood system. Global Food Security 28, 1-11.

[5] Berners-Lee, M. (2019) There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years. New York: Cambridge University Press.

[6] Pritchard, B. (2012) Food security. In: Daniels, P., Bradshaw, M., Shaw, D. and Sidaway, J. (eds.) An Introduction To Human Geography, Harlow: Pearson, pp.162-176.

[7] Food And Agriculture Organization Of The United Nations (2012) The State Of World Fisheries And Aquaculture. https://epub.sub.uni-hamburg.de/epub/volltexte/2012/16991/pdf/2012.pdf [24.11.21]

[8] Faulconbridge, J.R. and Beaverstock, J.V. (2009) Globalization: Interconnected Worlds. In: Clifford, N.J., Holloway, S.L., Rice, S.P. and Valentine, G. (eds.) Key Concepts In Geography, London: Sage, pp.331-343.

[9] Rijnsdorp, A.D., Peck, M.A., Engelhard, G.H.. Möllmann, C. and Pinnegar, J.K. (2009) Resolving the effect of climate change on fish populations. ICES Journal Of Marine Science 66, 1570-1583.

[10] Wetherell, S. (2018) Eating your values: Five questions to ask your fishmonger.https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/eating-values-five-questions-ask-fishmonger/ [26.11.21]