FAO Report: Aquaculture and Aquafarming an Essential Component to World Food Supplies

In order to encourage responsible development of aquaculture for food systems and economic improvements, the United Nations introduced the Blue Transformation initiative. “Blue Transformation is a vision for sustainably transforming aquatic food systems, a recognized solution for food and nutrition security and environmental and social well-being, by preserving aquatic ecosystem health, reducing pollution, protecting biodiversity and promoting social equality.”

This is less easy in nations without the economic ability to educate the many smaller operations on best practices or monitor and enforce environmental mitigation standards. “Developing – especially least developed – countries have limited technical and institutional capacities to ensure effective fisheries management. They require tailored capacity development initiatives with approaches adapted to their financial and human capacity constraints.”

The current growth in the need for aquaculture and aquafarming will continue. The report includes predictions for the demand in 2030. “Total production of aquatic animals is expected to reach 202 million tonnes in 2030, with the main increase coming from aquaculture, contributing 106 million tonnes in 2030.”

The UN places hope in advancing technology to expand food supplies and economic growth while cultivating environmental sustainability. “Technological advances are instrumental for effective implementation of conservation and management measures, by improving data collection, analysis and dissemination, monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), efficiency, [and] environmental protection…”