Asia's Silent Crisis: Millions of Tons of Fish Lost

Global infrastructure inefficiencies in the marine fisheries sector lead to an estimated 25 to 35 million tonnes of fish being wasted annually. A recent joint study by the FAO and BOBP-IGO highlighted that in developing countries, fish loss and waste constitute 20-35% of total production. This post-harvest loss is emerging as a silent crisis across Asia, with 20 to 60% of the total catch lost along the aquatic food value chain. This situation severely impacts food security and the incomes of fishers. The study, conducted between 2025 and 2026 across 11 Asian countries, identified systemic inefficiencies. Approximately 43.5% of losses occur at landing sites due to insufficient icing facilities and high ambient temperatures. Critical gaps include a lack of cold storage at landing centers, insufficient ice plants, poorly integrated cold-chain logistics, and weak processing and packaging infrastructure in the Bay of Bengal region. In India, while public investment in production is high, post-harvest management and market access remain weak. The study advocates for a comprehensive value-chain upgrade to empower fishers and recommends fleet management planning, modernization of public infrastructure, mandatory traceability systems, and better integration between vessels and processing industries.