Small-scale octopus fisheries can provide sustainable source of vital nutrients for tropical coastal communities

Undernourished coastal communities in the tropics - where children's growth can be stunted by a lack of micronutrients - can get the vitamins and minerals they need from sustainable small-scale octopus fisheries, say researchers. Just a small serving of something very, very micronutrient rich, like octopus, can fill critical nutritional gaps. Dr David Willer, Department of Zoology Research led by Cambridge scientists, and published in Nature Food , shows that tropical small-scale octopus fisheries offer a sustainable source of food and income to communities that face food insecurity, where the prevalence of undernourishment can exceed 40% and stunting in children under five commonly exceeds 30%. The high micronutrient density of octopus - including vitamin B12, copper, iron and selenium - means that human populations only need to eat a small quantity to supplement a diet primarily comprising staple plant crops. The new research shows that just a small amount of production in a tropical small-scale octopus fishery can deliver the micronutrient needs to a relatively large number of people. The fast growth and adaptability of octopuses to environmental change can also facilitate sustainable production, and catch methods in the fisheries - primarily consisting of hand techniques, small-scale lines, pots and traps - are less environmentally harmful than those of large industrial fishing. Dr David Willer, lead author, from the Department of Zoology at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow at Murray Edwards College, said: -Worldwide, nearly half of people's calories come from just three crops - rice, wheat, and maize - which are high energy, but relatively low in key nutrients.