With aquatic animal production expected to reach 205 million metric tons by 2032, the potential of aquatic foods to contribute to food security, nutrition, and poverty reduction is increasingly recognized across global forums.
Fisheries and aquaculture are critical elements for global food security, said Carlos Fuentevilla, fishery officer for technical program coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO. For 40% of the global population, aquatic foods provide at least 20% of their total animal protein supply, and this figure is much higher in some countries, he said.
Fuentevilla’s team works to prioritize and address the needs of countries, as well as coordinate the agency’s Blue Transformation vision. There’s a significant increase in recognition of the role of aquatic food in achieving several of the SDGs, Fuentevilla said, with more discussions around these products in national adaptation plans, national food security policies, and nutritional strategies. There’s also a lot of research and money going into aquaculture, and it’s an area of interest to many governments, he added.