Challenges in the implementation of food safety and quality assurance systems in small-scale fisheries

Ninety percent of the world's fishers are directly involved in small-scale fisheries (SSFs), and many food safety and quality issues along the food value chains may be both irreversible and cumulative. Ensuring safe, high-quality aquatic products are key to sustaining life, promoting good health, and avoiding adverse health effects. Objective This paper aimed to highlight factors preventing the implementation of safety and quality assurance systems in SSFs by analysing the results from surveys on the implementation of Article 11 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (2017, 2019, and 2022). Materials and methods The analysis considered responses to 15 closed-ended questions on food safety and quality obtained from 143 FAO Members and the European Union, and 87 open-ended replies addressing challenges in SSFs. Results The major factors preventing the implementation of the Code's food safety and quality provisions were lack of sanitation and monitoring programmes, lack of infrastructure (particularly refrigeration facilities) lack of technical capacities and limited management of food safety risks along the value chains. Safety and quality assurance efforts were focused on international markets, resulting in less attention being paid to domestic markets where a high degree of informality was reported. Conclusions Improved implementation of safety and quality assurance systems will lead to safer food with higher nutritional quality, extended shelf-life and reduced post-harvest loss. Increased awareness of food safety issues in SSFs is a prerequisite for achieving several of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.