October 30, 2023

Aquaculture sector needs more effective governance to be sustainable, according to study

The aquaculture sector needs more effective governance to be sustainable, according to new research.

In a new study, which was published in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, an international consortium of aquaculture experts suggested five areas that can guide research agendas and policy-making.

"Good governance is critically important for ensuring that aquaculture does not cause more harm than benefits," said Dave Little, co-author and professor at the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling in Scotland, the United Kingdom. "However, current knowledge and practices related to aquaculture governance currently lack a set of unifying topics and sustainability goals. This is in part due to aquaculture's rapid expansion and intensification over the last two decades, in part outpacing the ability of research and policy to catch up."

As state ministries worldwide now begin to think more concretely about governance issues in the sector, the study suggests five priority areas that are "essential" for guiding unified economic, policy and environmental planning.

"Concerted governance efforts can help move the sector beyond fragmented technical questions associated with intensification and expansion, social and environmental impacts, and toward system-based approaches that address interconnected sustainability issues," said Little.

The study reviews the most recent literature and synthesises expert advice to suggest five priority areas for research and policymaking: setting sustainability transformation goals; cross-sectoral linkages; land-water-sea connectivity; knowledge and innovation; and value chains.

The five areas highlight the need to balance social, economic and environmental outcomes, and how aquaculture is connected with other important food and economic sectors, suggesting the need for joint decision-making in the ministries, agencies and institutions responsible for agenda setting and resource allocation.

- Global Seafood Alliance