"Foreign-owned bottom trawlers are emptying African waters and taking the continent’s biologically valuable nutrients with them."
"Seafood isn’t just a key source of protein and calories; it’s also where millions around the world get essential vitamins and minerals needed to build tissue, fight infections and grow. Yet, as modern mechanized fishing fleets plunder global waters, populations in low-income countries are losing out.
If the fish caught by foreign-flagged bottom trawlers went to local populations instead of international markets, over 10 million people in nutritionally vulnerable countries could reach adequate vitamin and mineral intake, according to a team of scientists from Oceana.
In sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, micronutrient deficiencies—including a lack of omega-3, vitamin B12 and zinc—are a significant cause of cognitive and immune impairments."
Johnny Sturgeon reports for Inside Climate News September 24, 2026.
