Asean must enhance food security

THE economic procuring of marine commodities from fisheries for the purposes of trade and consumption by Asean member states is instrumental to preserving food security in the region – fundamental to the livelihood of millions of people – given its increasing demand. The ever-growing depletion of marine resources threatens Asean’s marine industrial complex, exacerbating the region’s food insecurity. The Asia Foundation found that 64% of the fisheries’ resource base in Asean is at a medium to high risk of significant depletion.