Low consumption of fish lamented

BOGOR (JP): The low consumption of fish by pregnant women and children could have an adverse effect on the development of a child's intelligence, a nutrition expert said yesterday.

Hardinsyah, a lecturer at the Bogor Agriculture University, said that the average consumption of around 18 kilograms of fish per capita per year is far below the standard of the World Food Organization of between 25 and 30 kilograms.

"A diet rich in fish will help improve a child's intelligence...it's an investment in human resource development," Hardinsyah said. "Fish are rich in iodine, which is important for physical growth. Consumption of fish can also help prevent coronary heart problems, stroke and hypertension."

Director General of Fishery F.X. Mudjijo recently said that the average consumption of fish in Indonesia is 19.14 kilograms per capita per year. Java ranks lowest with only 8.7 kilograms per year while the Maluku islands rank at the top with an average of 74.4 kilograms per year.

Maluku's consumption exceeds that of Japan, which has the largest fish consumption levels in the world: 70 kilos per capita per year.

The low level of fish consumption here is due to low income levels and the uneven distribution of marine products, especially in remote areas.

President Soeharto is scheduled to launch a National Fish Consumption Campaign -- which will coincide with today's commemoration of World Day -- bearing the slogan Fish Consumption to Increase People's Nutrition.

In its release, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Consumers International said yesterday that an estimated one billion people go hungry every day. The Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that 800 million people in the world are undernourished. (21/swe)