ROME — A report released on September 4 states that by 2040, almost half of the wild fish caught around the world could be used to make feed for farmed fish and shrimp if the aquaculture industry grows as planned by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). This information comes from the Changing Markets Foundation, a UK-based NGO, ahead of the 37th Committee on Fisheries (COFI) meeting that took place from September 7 to 11 at the FAO’s headquarters in Rome. Policymakers at this meeting discussed the future of fisheries and aquaculture worldwide.
The report has sparked discussions about the support for aquaculture, which is the farming of aquatic life, including fish, shellfish, and plants, in both marine and freshwater environments. It is currently the fastest-growing food sector globally, providing half of the world’s seafood supply since 2022. However, representatives from artisanal fishing groups who attended COFI criticized it as a “destructive” practice.
Tara Ganesh, a senior campaigner at Changing Markets Foundation, mentioned to Mongabay in Rome that the impact of aquaculture depends heavily on the types of species that are farmed. The report, created with researchers from the University of British Columbia in Canada, examines how the use of wild fish for feed might change if the aquaculture industry meets its growth goals. What do you think about the future of aquaculture and its impact on wild fish populations?
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Source: Mongabay Animals, by Autumn Spanne