THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT IN INDONESIA, MALAYSIA, THE PHILIPPINES, AND THAILAND (NUTRITION, FISH CONSUMPTION)

Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand all have rich fisheries resources and well-established fishing industries that play vital roles in their economies and provide an important source of high-quality protein food. However, the governments have not given as much attention to the industry's capacity to provide food as they have to the industry's capacity to earn foreign exchange and contribute to economic growth. This is reflected in each government's emphasis on industrializing its fishing industry and on promoting export-oriented production.;The impact of export-oriented fisheries development on fish supply and consumption levels, and thus on nutrition, is the central focus of this inquiry. The results indicate that, because of the effects of trade, waste, resource depletion and distribution, increases in fisheries production have not led to commensurate increases in supplies available for consumption. The situation is most serious in Thailand where average per capita edible supplies have declined since the early 1970s. Comsumption survey data and edible supply estimates indicate that consumption has also decreased in the Philippines. Average consumption levels have increased in Indonesia and Malaysia. The rapid increase in fish prices in each of the countries under study, however, has affected the distribution of fish so that it is less accessible to the poor. The conclusion looks at other costs of export-oriented industrialization and examines the prospects for change in the direction of fisheries development.;The emphasis on export-oriented industrialization in the fisheries development policies and programs of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand has accelerated growth in the fishing sectors of each country and led to the expansion of international trade. While this has resulted in considerable economic benefit, there also may have been several disadvantages. One potential disadvantage is a reduced supply of fish for local consumption and a concomitant rise in domestic fish prices. Due to the importance of fish in Southeast Asian diets and the number of people affected by poverty, this may have contributed to undernutrition in the region.