Wild-caught fish provide an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients in food-insecure places. Fishers catch thousands of species, yet the diversity of aquatic foods is often categorised homogeneously as 'fish', obscuring understanding of which species supply affordable, nutritious, and abundant food. Here, we use catch, economic and nutrient data on 2,348 species to identify the most affordable and nutritious fish in 39 low and middleincome countries. We find that a 100 g portion of fish cost between 10-30% of the cheapest daily diet, with small pelagic fishes (herrings, sardines, anchovies) the cheapest nutritious fish in 72% of countries. In sub-Saharan Africa, where nutrient deficiencies are rising, <20% of small pelagic catch would meet recommended dietary fish intakes for all children (six months-four years old) living near to water bodies. Nutrition-sensitive policies that ensure local supplies and promote consumption of wild-caught fish could help address nutrient deficiencies in vulnerable populations. Main TextA nutrient-adequate diet is unaffordable for almost three billion people, particularly in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to growing global malnutrition and food insecurity 1,2 . In these regions, fish is a key component of the food system that is often produced by small-scale sectors 3 . Critically, in these settings fish provide a local source of highly bioavailable micronutrients such as iron and zinc 4 that are often lacking in diets 5 . In populations that have access to and consume relatively high amounts of fish, studies have demonstrated improved pregnancy and birth outcomes 6,7 and faster child growth 8 . Fish is expected to contribute to healthy diets where it is affordable and accessible, but the cost and availability of nutrient-rich foods, including fish, is highly variable across and within countries 9-11 . In the Global South, lower household income 9 and proximity to markets 12 and fisheries 13 can restrict access to fish, and thus limit its potential to contribute to people's health. Yet scarcity of data on fish prices at the species-level mean that large-scale analyses of fish affordability typically combine aggregate products by ecosystem category (e.g. pelagic or demersal fishes 14 ) or simply as 'fish' 10 . These data simplifications limit understanding of how the affordability of fish varies among species, production methods, and locations. Furthermore, productivity and nutrient content of wild-caught fish varies greatly 4 , such that micronutrient-rich fish may not be available (i.e. produced or traded) and affordable in every country. Three key questions remain unanswered: 1) where are wild, micronutrient-rich fish affordable?; 2) which wild-caught species are the cheapest, most micronutrient-rich fish?; and 3) where do fisheries provide an abundant supply of nutritious food? Here, we examine the affordability and supply of wild-caught fish in 39 low-and middleincome countries. We compile information on catch weight, price (at point of landing, 'exvesse...

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Accounts of fishing conflicts have been rising globally, particularly between small-scale and industrial vessels. These conflicts involve verbal or physical altercations, and may include destruction of boats, assault, kidnapping, and murder. Current scholarship around industrial/small-scale fishing conflicts theorizes them as a form of resource conflict, where fish scarcity is the dominant contributor to conflict and competition. Alternatively, conflicts may be driven by spatial competition, concentrating where there are increased encounters, unrelated to resource status. Current policies to address these conflicts focus on enforcing the separation of small-scale and industrial vessels; however, this broad spatial separation has yet to be evaluated for deterring conflicts. Here we employ a novel spatial analysis to estimate the locations of industrial/small-scale conflicts at sea in Ghana, West Africa. Using data from narrative reports over the period of 1985 to 2014, we combine qualitative information on depth and shoreline indicators to analyze conflict locations. We find virtually all expected conflict locations (98%) occurred within the zone meant to exclude industrial vessels, and conflicts concentrated primarily around major ports. Our results suggest conflicts are likely more related to spatial patterns of vessel presence than patterns of resource use. These findings suggest a critical need for evidence-based and contextual information on the drivers of fisheries conflicts, rather than continued reliance on assumptions of resource scarcity. They also suggest that nuanced policies that reduce vessel encounter and clarify exclusive spatial rights may be more important in responding to these conflicts than approaches designed to broadly separate fleets or increase fish stocks.

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