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A group of 20 experts from 12 countries, FAO and the World Fish Centre met in Rome from 2 to 4 July under the science plan theme 8: Nutrition and Food Safety. The objectives for the workshop was to prepare outlines for scientific papers from the data collected from the cruises and discuss research priorities related to food safety and nutrition in the context of the EAF-Nansen Programme.

During the workshop, participants advanced on planning and drafting scientific papers that use the data on nutrients and contaminants from the fish sampled during the surveys with the RV Dr Fridtjof Nansen in selected countries in West and Central Africa and the Bay of Bengal.

Fish plays a central role in nutritional and food security as a unique source of micronutrients such as marine fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. Presently there is little data on the content of nutrients in most fish species captured around the world. In addition to knowledge of the contents of nutrients, there is a lack of documentation on the contents of legacy environmental contaminants such as heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants, as well as emerging pollutants such as microplastics. Knowledge on levels of chemical contaminants is of significance both to assess seafood safety and possible effects of environmental pollution.