Sustainability challenges in the aquaculture sector
Sustainability challenges in the aquaculture sector
As our planet’s oceans become increasingly vulnerable to the effects ofglobal warming, aquaculture has expanded as a key means of securing the future health of our marine ecosystems. The comprehensive term for aquaculture includes a number of branches, such as: fish farming, raising molluscs and crustaceans, and growing aquatic plants.
According to the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Summary for Policymakers, the upper ocean (0-700 metres depth) has almost certainly warmed since the 1970s, and human forcing is very likely a major driver of this.
The impact of this global warming has already begun in our oceans, due to the migration of many species to the high latitudes near the coasts, which will lead to a significant impact on coastal resources, in addition to the expected decrease in annual marine catch by 1.5 million tons at the current rate of global warming.
The aquaculture sector can make an important contribution to combating climate change, reducing pollution and protecting ecosystems, and it can also be part of a more circular management of resources. Therefore, a long-term strategic approach to sustainable growth in aquaculture around the world is more important today than ever before.
In light of this climate crisis we are experiencing, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has considered sustainable aquaculture a viable adaptation strategy in the face of global warming, which has already resonated around the world, with increased funding and support directed towards sustainable aquaculture projects.
The role of aquatic organisms in confronting climate change
Although this industrial sector is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, aquaculture clearly has huge potential. In order to achieve a sustainable food chain, compared to other forms of livestock.
With regard to environmental factors associated with different forms of meat, poultry and fish production, we find – for example – salmon able to produce larger amounts of meat at a rate of up to 61 kg/100 kg of feed; Compared to beef (4-10 kg/100 kg feed), or even poultry (21 kg/100 kg feed), we find fish a promising and sustainable solution.
The productivity of fish is not only higher, but it also results in carbon dioxide emissions in almost negligible proportions compared to types of red meat. In addition, it consumes much less fresh water.
It is worth noting that land-based ecosystems are not the only systems capable of controlling the critical carbon cycle, as some bodies of water can store five times more carbon than rainforests, with the help of growing aquatic plants, mollusks and seaweeds. In fact, the culture of mussels and oysters allows the growth of kelp, a type of seaweed that absorbs carbon.
It is crucial that the shift towards aquaculture being a major food resource under the umbrella of preserving existing marine ecosystems, as this will not only help reduce anthropogenic emissions – as the main cause of global warming – but will also prevent the impact of warming on marine environments, which will protect the aquaculture industry in the future.
Current industry constraints
Despite all of the above, there are still significant unsustainable practices in the aquaculture industry, which may contribute to further degradation of our ecosystems.
In 2018, water-based livestock consumed 20 million tons of feed that was sourced from wild fisheries. Given that this figure is equivalent to approximately one-fifth of the global fish catch, a high percentage of which is small fish; Therefore, it is clear that this cannot continue without exposing many fish species to the risk of disappearing in the future, in addition to the consumption of fossil fuels along with the emissions associated with large fishing boats that travel long distances, until the concept of sustainable aquaculture has become a mere topic for discussion and not an applied reality.
Another matter is the seafood trade at the global level, as large supermarkets have become permanently required to provide a fixed stock of various marine species without focusing on local species, which leads to the continued movement of imports. Therefore, morecarbon emissions resulting from transportation, loading and unloading operations.
To overcome these challenges surrounding this promising industry, a number of things can be worked on, including: reducing diseases, developing a circular model for raising tuna and other fish, and maintaining a safe food chain of feed, in addition to enhancing the quality of feed; So that it contains higher percentages of protein.
