International nutrient flows from fisheries trade in Pacific food systems

Aquatic food trade distributes essential dietary nutrients from fisheries to countries around the world. However, these international trade networks can be impacted by a range of environmental or socioeconomic factors, like changes in fisheries management, trade relations, industry financing, and more. Such disruptions can lower fisheries production and/or increase seafood imports, with potentially more severe negative impacts on already nutrient-insecure countries that are vulnerable to supply chain changes. In Oceania, several Pacific Island countries may be especially vulnerable to negative outcomes from fisheries supply chain changes. Health-wise, the region’s caloric needs are highly dependent on imports, unhealthy food imports are rising, and diet-related health ailments remain a challenge. Additionally, much of the global tuna supply is harvested from the productive Pacific Ocean waters surrounding these countries, but the nutrients from these fisheries tend to flow towards more nutrient-secure countries via trade and foreign fishing. Pacific Island countries may therefore occupy the role of “source” for seafood, while not receiving many social or health benefits. A thorough understanding of how seafood-derived nutrients move through international trade networks is therefore crucial for equitable progress towards desired development outcomes. Our study combines empirical data, network modeling, and statistical analysis to assess the roles of Pacific Island countries in distributing fisheries-derived nutrients globally, along with the ways that social-ecological factors may influence these nutrient flows. We leverage consumption data from the Aquatic Resources in Trade Database and nutrient data from the Aquatic Food Composition Database to analyze these topics. Specifically, we explore the net flows of fisheries-derived nutrients in and out of Pacific Island countries, the roles (i.e., source, exporter, or consumer) that countries occupy in these international networks, and the impacts of economic, fisheries, and oceanographic factors on these networks. Initial results indicate that Pacific Island countries have net outflows of fisheries-derived nutrients, often being sources and exporters of protein, vitamin B12, and fatty acids towards other countries. Domestic production and consumption comprises a substantial portion of the nutrients retained in the region, and fisheries and trade agreements may influence country-specific dynamics. Overall, this study may contribute to understanding the ways that globalized fisheries affect nutrient distributions worldwide.