Animal Health Bulletin: April 2018

 

 

By Karen K. Dittmann et al.

 

Twelve per cent of the world's population is currently securing their livelihood partly, or fully, through the fisheries and aquaculture sector (FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, 2016). Most people occupied in this sector rely on wild catches; however, fish stocks are becoming depleted with 90% of stocks being fully or overexploited (FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, 2016). A more productive and sustainable aquaculture sector is needed to meet the sustainable development  goals (SDGs) of the UN number 2, 12 and 14 and  supply a growing world population, which is expected to reach 1010 individuals in approximately 30 years (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division, 2015), with high-quality protein. The aquaculture sector has, within the past few years, surpassed wild catches in the production of seafood (fish and plants combined; Bentzon Til- ia et al., 2016), and overall employment in the fisheries sector has decreased by approximately one million individuals from 2010 to 2014, while the aquaculture sector saw an increase of 0.1 million individuals. In general, a shift has been seen from 1990, where 83% were employed in fisheries and 17% in aquaculture, to 2014 where 67% were employed in fisheries and 33% in aquaculture (FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, 2016). The sector is projected to increase its output from 74 million tons in 2014 to 102 million tons by 2025, and up to 121 million tons by 2030 (FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, 2016). Furthermore, it was recently suggested that the global biological production potential for marine aquaculture is more than 100 times the current global seafood consumption, thus suitable habitats do not seem to be a limiting factor in the growth of the sector (Gentry et al., 2017). Consequently, the industry is faced with a need to significantly increase productivity while at the same time securing both livelihoods and sustainability.

 

The full article is published on the April 2018 issue of Animal Health Bulletin. To read the full report, please email to inquiry@efeedlink.com to request for a complimentary copy of the magazine, indicating your name, mailing address and title of the report.