The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has initiated a global campaign emphasizing the crucial role of aquaculture in achieving sustainable development goals. The campaign aims to address food security and eliminate malnutrition through a focus on fisheries and aquaculture.
The recently unveiled Global Roadmap for Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG2) without Breaching the 1.5°C Threshold, presented at the United Nations Climate Conference COP28, outlines 120 actions and key milestones across ten domains. These domains include clean energy, crops, fisheries, and aquaculture, among others.
The FAO emphasizes the nutritional benefits of aquatic food, describing it as a “nutritional powerhouse” rich in protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and vital minerals. Recognizing the low greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint of aquatic food, the FAO encourages its role in mitigating emissions through dietary shifts.
Key recommendations from the FAO include improving the productivity of aquaculture, promoting good aquaculture practices (GAPs), enhancing technology adoption, and implementing policies for small-scale aquaculture.
In the global landscape, various countries are making strides in expanding their aquaculture initiatives:
Canada: The federal government is working on an Aquaculture Transition Plan for British Columbia, impacting 79 open-net farms and around 5,000 jobs. Legal challenges are mounted against the decision to close fish farms in the Discovery Islands.
Norway: Coastal communities hosting fish farming sites are set to receive an increased payout of NOK 1.4 billion (CAD$175 million) from the Norwegian Aquaculture Fund to support welfare and social projects.
Scotland: With an ambition to grow aquaculture production, the sector’s direct economic contribution in Scotland has increased by 154% to £472 million over a decade.
Vietnam: The government aims to achieve seven million tonnes of aquaculture production by 2030, with export revenue reaching US$12 billion per year.
Australia: Aquaculture has become Australia’s most valuable seafood industry, overtaking wild-caught fish, with a gross value of production exceeding $2 billion.
China: China is developing various forms of offshore aquaculture, with the Deep Blue 1 project being the first offshore aquaculture base for farming salmon.
Chile: The Chilean government plans to update its fisheries law to address environmental concerns and balance operational growth in the aquaculture sector.
India: Amendments in legislation aim to expand coastal aquaculture and reduce bureaucratic hurdles for small-scale farmers, supporting the livelihoods of over 28 million people.
Indonesia: Promoting tuna farming and investing in aquaculture, Indonesia aims to achieve a seafood export target of $7.6 billion in 2024.
As nations globally recognize the potential of aquaculture in sustainable development, the FAO’s campaign advocates for the industry’s integral role in addressing global challenges related to food security and malnutrition.
