Small fish: An Untapped Opportunity for Improving Nutrition

Fish offer a potentially sustainable solution to food security and nutrition challenges in Indonesia, but while the country possesses abundant aquatic resources, its per capita fish consumption remains lower than that of neighbouring countries.Challenges such as overfishing, pollution, and unsustainable aquaculture practices hinder its growth, and climate change further threatens fish stocks.This paper highlights the importance of small fish species, in particular, in addressing Indonesia's nutritional and environmental challenges.Small fish, often overlooked in favour of larger species, tend to be highly nutritious: they are rich in essential nutrients like protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.As such, small fish can play a vital role in enhancing nutrition.When consumed whole, small fish can also foster zero-waste consumption.This paper assesses seven types of small fish and conducts a supply chain analysis of three of them.It also explores small-scale aquaculture practices, mapping the supply chain from sourcing to distribution.The findings offer actionable recommendations to enhance small fish consumption and support local economies.Small fish development can offer a more sustainable alternative compared to large-scale farming, requiring fewer resources and producing less environmental impacts.However, the study identifies two primary challenges: a lack of consumer awareness and cultural preferences for larger fish species, and a consistent supply shortage due to limited access to fingerlings and modern farming resources.To overcome these, two key opportunities are emphasised: improving the effectiveness of restocking programmes and strengthening the supply chain by sourcing local fingerlings and sustainable feed.Among the three small fish species studied, Wader is the most profitable, offering higher returns and greater efficiency than Nilem or Sepat Siam.Combining traditional methods with modern aquaculture techniques is crucial for maximising productivity and long-term sustainability. KEY MESSAGES• Small fish are a nutritious and often environmentally sustainable food and can thus play a role in combating malnutrition and reducing environmental impacts of the food system.• Wader small fish offers the highest cost-benefit resource allocation, maximum economic return, and livelihood enhancement for its supply chain actors.• Improving effectiveness of fish restocking activities with rigorous initial assessment and community monitoring is important to increase small fish production. METHODOLOGY DATA COLLECTIONThis research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, with a focus on nutrition, environment, supply chains mapping, and the business case for small fish.Qualitative analysis examined consumer preferences, supply chain dynamics, governance structures, and stakeholder perspectives, while quantitative analysis examined key commodities, costs margins, income distribution, and employment in the small fish sector.Data were collected in July-August 2024 in Greater Jakarta Area, West Java, and Banten provinces.Quantitative data were collected through an online survey targeting urban consumers in Greater Jakarta.The survey collected structured data on fish consumption behaviour, preferences, purchasing considerations, and awareness of small fish species.There were 48 valid responses that were used for analysis.This is a relatively small sample, so the results should be considered merely indicative.Respondents were primarily fairly young (15-25 years old), reflecting the target demographic for urban consumption analysis.Qualitative data were gathered through two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and 16 semistructured interviews with key stakeholders across the small fish supply chain.The first FGD, held in Jakarta, focused on identifying opportunities and challenges in the small fish supply chain to support sustainable food consumption, with experts from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), and Gadjah Mada University.The findings of this session informed the second FGD, which aimed to prioritise the most promising small fish species.This second discussion involved a broader range of practitioners, including freshwater fish suppliers from Sukabumi and Bogor, traders and retailers from five regional markets, members of the Indonesian Marine and Fisheries Social Economic Research Network (IMFISERN), and specialised policy and aquaculture analysts.Additionally, field-based semi-structured interviews were conducted with farmers, processors, and market actors in West Java, Banten, and Jakarta to capture nuanced perspectives across the upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the supply chain.