The latest edition of the biennial State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report published by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) reveals global fisheries and aquaculture production hit a new record high of 223.2 million tonnes in 2022, with aquaculture surpassing capture fisheries for the first time.

Why does this matter? More than 3 billion people rely on seafood as a vital source of protein. With the world population projected to pass 9.7 billion by 2050, the number of humans reliant on seafood is only set to rise, making the aquatic food system a crucial source of global nutrition and food security.

According to FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu, “transformation is essential” to ensure aquatic life continues to feed a growing population sustainably.

Crucial to the aquatic food sector’s sustainable ambitions is the FAO’s Blue Transformation roadmap, which “outlines a vision to expand aquatic food systems and increase their contribution to nutritious and affordable healthy diets.”

The roadmap is designed to accelerate progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, Life Below Water, which aims to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”

However, the UN’s latest annual Sustainable Development Report found that none of the 17 SDGs are on course to be met by 2030. Although this stagnation is concerning, it provides the aquatic food sector with the opportunity to accelerate meaningful progress towards achieving SDG 14.

Given its rapid expansion in recent years, sustainable aquaculture development will be pivotal to ensuring the wider seafood industry achieves its sustainable ambitions.

The FAO report urges aquaculture operators to pursue an “ecosystem approach” as the future of aquaculture intensification and expansion, which will minimise environmental impacts and secure animal health and food safety.

A crucial vehicle for ensuring aquaculture scales to meet demand while avoiding disruption to adjacent ecosystems will involve encouraging innovation and investing in technological developments in the sector.

Indeed, aquaculture operators already have various technological tools that will aid the sector’s sustainable development. For example, as aquaculture volumes continue to rise, traditional open ocean methods alone will become insufficient to meet increasing demand, meaning aquatic products reared in closed Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) will be required to fill the demand gap.

RAS technology is expanding rapidly in scale and technological sophistication, enabling aquaculture operators to breed fish intensively in a controlled environment without risking stock escaping and mixing with wild populations.

The Kingfish Company is one such example of an aquaculture operator employing RAS technology. The Netherlands-based firm is the largest land-based producer of yellowtail – a highly sought-after sushi ingredient – in the European market.

Already equipped with 3,500 tonnes of installed capacity in 2023, the firm also has space to nearly double in size. Operationally, The Kingfish Company does not administer antibiotics or vaccines, the business is 100% powered by renewable electricity, and it uses seawater rather than limited freshwater resources.

Expanding aquaculture to fit this model will ensure the industry scales in the sustainable fashion the FAO report desires, with minimal disruption to local environments.

In terms of traditional cage-based aquaculture practices, tilapia farm operator Tilabras offers a compelling model of how the industry can operate in harmony with surrounding ecosystems and raise stock in a healthy, uncrowded environment.

What’s happening?

“Blue” foods including shellfish, fish and algae carry significant potential to improve global development if the appropriate policies and investments are adopted, according to a major global review. Professor Dave Little of the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture contributed to the Blue Food Assessment research, with five peer-reviewed papers produced as part of the project. He said small fisheries and aquaculture provide 90% of jobs in the sector and have a crucial role to play in local food security. The review examined how aquaculture can improve diet, protect livelihoods and reduce the environmental footprint of the food industry.

Why does this matter? At present, over 2,500 species and groups of shellfish, fish, aquatic plants and algae are either fished or cultivated as part of global food networks. Given global demand for blue foods is expected to double by 2050, fisheries and aquaculture have a large role to play in the sustainability and resilience of these systems.

Blue foods can play a significant role in delivering more sustainable diets globally. One of the five published studies explored the environmental performance of blue foods, with researchers finding major species produced in aquaculture such as carp and salmon have a lower footprint in comparison to chicken, which is considered the most efficient land-based livestock species. On average, most blue food stocks produced for human consumption generate fewer greenhouse gases, water pollution and require less resources than livestock.

Among aquatic foods, farmed seaweeds, bivalves and small pelagic species including sardines generate the least greenhouse gas emissions, according to researchers. In addition, aquaculture farms for species such as oysters and mussels can simultaneously offer natural benefits, such as filtering excess nutrients from water and removing pollutants to improve water quality.

In another study, researchers evaluated the role of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture operations, which provide livelihoods for over 100 million people around the world and ultimately sustain one billion but are often overlooked in policy and decision-making. It highlighted that local seafood producers are more likely to survive shocks, such as the Covid-19 pandemic during which smaller actors were able to fill market gaps as larger producers scaled back international operations.

Despite some efforts from governments and organisations, including a fast-track plan for small fishing co-operatives in South Africa, and a framework aiming to enhance sustainability in Southeast Asian small-scale shrimp farms, the progress of small aquaculture operations is still hindered by disproportionate inaccessibility to resources, climate change risk and social exclusion. The analysis noted women as crucial actors in ensuring an equitable food sector, highlighting the gender inequalities that continue to undervalue them.

It’s worth also noting that while blue food systems can help improve global development with the right support, their benefits are climate-vulnerable. For instance, ocean-based aquaculture operations may be impacted by ocean acidification and changing species distributions, while land-based fisheries could see knock-on effects from regional droughts posing risks to freshwater supplies. It’s worth noting aquatic food systems in developing nations such as Africa, the Indo-Pacific and Southeast Asia are the most exposed to climate risks and food security.

It is important techniques are employed that take account of this and also minimise the environmental impacts of aquaculture. To curb water pollution, tech-based offerings are gaining interest, such as nanobubbletechnology by Moleaer that restores the health of aquatic systems and water quality in salmon aquaculture. Researchers are also working on solutions to reduce waste at source, for instance by developing biodegradable rope that can be composted, as well as creating less-polluting fish feed formulas.

Projects to repurpose aquaculture waste are also underway, with scientists at Hanoi University finding applications in biofuels, and in Singapore for biomaterials for bone repair. Some industry experts have also suggested bolstering fish populations could be used as a natural climate mitigation measure to remove large quantities of atmospheric CO2 in a similar fashion to land-based forest ecosystems. Finally, organisations are working alongside Indigenous communities – which possess often overlooked traditional and cultural knowledge – to minimise the environmental impact of fisheries by utilising low-impact techniques such as hook and line.

Source: University of Stirling

Why does this matter? As the report outlines, fisheries are both vulnerable to climate change impacts and also contribute to it, through direct vessel emissions and fishing equipment disrupting the seabed. Protecting the ocean and its marine habitats – which can sequester more carbon per unit area than forests – is critical to mitigating climate change. In the UK, saltmarsh and seagrass meadows store around 220 million tonnes of blue carbon, 93% of which is sequestered in marine sediments.

The report highlights three key areas to be addressed. First, tackling direct emissions from fishing vessels. UK fishing fleets generate an estimated 914.4 kilotons of CO2 annually – the equivalent of the annual energy usage of over 110,000 US households. WWF, the MCS and RSPB highlight that over half of the UK’s fleet still in operation is over 30 years old. Most vessels in this ageing fleet are powered by carbon-intensive heavy fuel oils, while half relies heavily on diesel.

Second, marine biodiversity should be improved by minimising and potentially reversing damage from poor practices and destructive fishing gear. Around 87% of fish caught by UK vessels use a combination of demersal and beam trawl, and seine nets, which damage muddy sediments and seagrass. When disturbed from the seabed carbon re-mineralises into the ocean and can be released back into the atmosphere, increasing greenhouse gas levels.

Third, the UK’s marine habitats require increased protection to improve their ability to act as a carbon sink, the report states, as blue carbon is further extracted when fish stocks are depleted. The first UK fish stock audit post-Brexit, published earlier this year, found only three of the UK’s top ten fish populations are fished at or under their maximum sustainability yield. Alongside fish and shellfish, larger species are also considered carbon stores, with species such as tuna estimated to be 10% to 15% carbon. This leaves the ocean system when they are fished.

Adopting a climate-smart approach would support the UK’s Fisheries Act, passed last year, which recognises climate impacts in fisheries but has yet to take action in addressing the issue.

Companies are developing solutions to decarbonise vessels, with some exploring alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia to cut carbon from larger, long-range maritime transport. On a smaller scale, electrification is being looked at by several figures in the maritime industry, such as Bio Feeder, which announced plans to charter Norway’s first electric fish feed vessel this summer. Others are experimenting with sail-powered cargo fleets, such as Timbercoast, while SailCargo’s Ceiba vessel combines traditional timber sailing masts with solar-powered engines to achieve commercial-scale zero-carbon shipping.

For smaller fishing vessels, returning to traditional methods could be more appropriate. Cornwall-based Fal Oysters fishery is rooted in low-emission fishing practices, using just sail power and a lower impact approach to harvesting seafood.

To better protect the UK’s blue carbon-storing habitats, bottom trawling is set to be banned within Marine Protected Area (MPA) networks and increased limitations are due to be enforced outside of MPAs.

Less-destructive alternatives such as bottom longlines will require incentives to encourage positive action. Certain initiatives are aiming to reinvent less disruptive fishing gear, such as the Cyprus-based project SEALIVE, which is developing bio-based fishing nets made with natural materials including micro-algae. The nets are also compostable on an industrial scale.

Source:

https://media.mcsuk.org/documents/Climate_Smart_Fishing_Report_FINAL.pdf

Why does this matter? Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) provides a framework to develop sustainable fish farms, where circularity is introduced into the aquaculture process by farming species with complementary ecosystem functions in proximity to each other. This allows one species’ waste to be utilised as fertiliser and feed for other crops. This could result, for example, in the combination of farming finfish alongside seaweed or shellfish that re-capture the waste for their growth.

Despite the practice’s potential environmental and economic benefits, and its long-standing use in Asia, IMTA projects in Europe have been hindered by poor commercial performance. Academic research indicates this is due to a lack of support from funding agencies and industry, as well as relatively low R&D knowledge.

The EU’s ASTRAL project, part of its Horizon 2020 programme, aims to address this by developing IMTA production chains for Atlantic markets. The programme will build on the Belém Statement on Atlantic marine research between the EU, Brazil and South Africa, and it also includes Argentina, Brazil, France, Ireland, Nigeria, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa and Spain. It will bring together open offshore, flow-through inshore and recirculation labs with an aim of increasing circularity 60% compared to monoculture aquaculture.

If the project is a success it will increase the potential for revenue diversification among aquaculture producers. It forms part of the EU’s long-term Blue Growth strategy to support sustainable growth in maritime and marine sectors.

Of course in Europe, and elsewhere, aquaculture has taken a hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This has resulted in support packages from European member states to, at least partly, support the sector, most recently in Italy. Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, and amid Covid-19, Lebanon is looking to aquaculture as a means of improving its economic situation and food security – the country currently imports 90% of its seafood.

More broadly, analysis suggests the EU’s attempts to improve its aquaculture industry over recent years have struggled – even without taking into account the impacts of Covid-19. Initiatives focused on sustainable growth, such as the above, can perhaps provide longer-term value by focusing on sustainability.

ASTRAL also has a focus on improving and developing sensors, the Internet of Things and machine learning use in aquaculture. Companies are developing technology in this space, including CageEye which has created an autonomous feeding system that monitors fish with acoustic sensors and artificial intelligence, and Norway Royal Salmon which has partnered with Microsoft and ABB on an algorithm to track fish stocks.

Source: The Fish Site

Why does this matter? As fish farming operations grow worldwide, and governments simultaneously look to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and target other environmental issues, the aquaculture sector is under pressure to expand sustainably.

The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation’s (SSPO’s) Sustainability Charter sets out the Scottish salmon industry’s plans to do just this – with 41 specific actions to increase standards in both environmental impact and animal welfare.

From an environmental perspective, alongside targeting net-zero emissions by 2045, the sector – worth £885m to the Scottish economy – will work to use 100% renewable energy, source 100% of fish feed from sustainable sources with full traceability of ingredients, and reach 100% recyclable packaging. Scottish salmon farmers have also committed to improve fish pen structures to prevent escapes, and to work with government and regulators on trialling new technology. This includes innovations to capture waste from marine farms.

In terms of social sustainability, firms will provide sustainable homes in the Highlands for workers to tackle the lack of affordable housing in the region. Electric vehicle charging points will also be installed for communities, and the sector has committed to providing future high-quality jobs through investing in skills and recruitment.

The salmon farming sector in Scotland has not been without its issues. In 2018 an NGO report highlighted concerns over fish welfare in Scottish farms, with environmental campaigners accusing the industry of breaking sea lice, mortality and escape limits. Late last year Mowi was criticised after 700,000 of its salmon died over three months. SSPO put the lower 2019 survival rate figures down to planktonic blooms and increased water temperatures.

Scottish regulators have clamped down on the sector in recent years – though rules were temporarily relaxed earlier in 2020 due to Covid-19. Specific loch-based farms have also been highlighted as environmentally problematic, and a plan to develop a salmon farm in the Wester Ross Marine Protected Area has recently been opposed due to its potential environmental impact.

This has prompted operators to look to new locations, including farms further out to sea. Norskott Havbruk is in discussion with authorities about developing Scotland’s first open ocean fish farm. Meanwhile Loch Long Salmon is looking to establish semi-closed farms in the country, where deep water is pumped into an impermeable bag containing the salmon. To tackle lice, Scottish farmers have been experimenting with sea-lice eating wrasse fish to cut down on medicine use, and University of Edinburgh researchers are also looking to tackle the problem with selective breeding.

Elsewhere, other countries and firms are seeking to improve the sustainability of salmon aquaculture. Canada, for example, is pushing the industry to move away from net pen aquaculture towards alternatives, and semi-closed farms are also being trialled in the country. Norway is building fully electric salmon farms, while also piloting schemes to use facilities’ waste to create biofuels for aviation.

More generally, these initiatives will act to boost a sector that’s already seen as relatively sustainable in the context of global protein producers. Salmon farmers score highly in the Coller FAIRR Protein Index, which ranks all protein producing firms based on ESG factors, with Mowi leading the list.

Source: BBC