II. FISHERY RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN SAMOA
[ II-A |
II-B | II-C ]
A. Development issues
[ A | A-1
| A-2 ]
2. Consumption patterns
Figure 5. The Apia fish market and the commercial Alia fleet
The majority of fishery products are consumed locally or sold to local
markets (both public and private markets). Fish represent an important
source of protein for the people of Samoa but declining stocks and rising
populations have lowered the per person intake of fishery products over
the past decade (FAO 1993). Table 3 presents data on fish consumption.
Fresh fish is a highly valued part of the Samoan diet.
Table 3. Consumption of fisheries products (FAO 1993)
| Fish Consumption |
Rural |
Urban |
| Frequency |
2.6 days/week |
1.8 days/week |
| Change in Frequency 1983 to 1991 |
35 per cent decrease |
No change |
| Quantity (whole fish) |
300 g/meal/capita |
200 g/meal/capita |
| Change in quantity 1983 to 1991 |
No change |
40 per cent decrease |
| Average consumption |
36 kg/capita/year |
19 kg/capita/year |
|
