95
6 Food Security in the Context of Fisheries and Aquaculture…
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic organisms, is still widely regarded as a separate
sector within food production and/or as a separate subsector of capture fi sheries,
despite the fact that farming domesticated fi sh and hunting wild fi sh have little in
common. Unfortunately, monosectorial and subsectorial policies and institutions
have typi fi ed many sectors – agriculture, fi sheries, forestry, mining, tourism, transport, water supply and waste disposal that depend upon the very same ecosystems.
This is a major impediment to equitable and sustainable use of natural resources and
therefore a threat to the health of ecosystems and to food security. Institutional
change to remedy this is likely to be slow.
The main shifts that are needed concerning the role of farmed aquatic organisms
in food security are: (i) recognition that aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants
and animals and therefore requires subsectorial policies and institutions within the
agriculture sector, like those for crops and livestock agriculture; (ii) capture
fi sheries, including those enhanced by arti fi cial stocking, also require sectorial
policies and institutions; and (iii) policies and institutions for both the aquaculture
subsector and the capture fi sheries sector must be integrated with those for all other
sectors and subsectors that use the same resources, especially ecosystems, so that
they can proceed in partnership rather than con fl ict.
In 1970, aquaculture provided only 3.9% of world fi sh supply. From 1990 to
2002, aquaculture production grew on average by 10.2% per year, more any other
animal protein food sources: beef, 0.8%; mutton, 1.5%; pork, 2.5%; eggs, 3.6%; and
poultry, 4.8% (Mof fi t 2005 ) , and now contributes about 50% by volume to world
fi sh supply. Traditional aquaculture, especially in China and adjacent countries, was
closely integrated with agriculture, water management and waste recycling, but
those highly resource-ef fi cient systems, have now been largely replaced by nonintegrated systems, including intensive pellet-fed fi shponds (Edwards 2004 ) .
Similarly, in India, a long-established polyculture of six carp species, using the different natural feeding niches in fertilized ponds, has been intensi fi ed for higher
yields, through supplemental feeds (Nandeesha 2001 ) .
Intensive aquaculture, like all forms of intensive food production, has large
ecological footprints. In 2003, at least 41.6% of production of farmed fi n fi sh
and crustaceans was derived from feeding them with farm-based and/or industrially manufactured feeds (Tacon et al. 2006 ) who also reported, citing Gill
( 2005 ), that in 2004 aquaculture took 3% of the global total of industrially manufactured animal feeds, compared to: cattle, 24%; pigs, 32%; poultry, 38%:
pigs, 32%, and other animals, 3%. Aquaculture’s share of those feeds must now
be much higher and increasing, though its reliance on fi shmeal and fi sh oil is
being substantially reduced through highly innovative feed formulations. Pullin
et al. ( 2007 ) reviewed possible biological, ecological and intersectorial indicators for the sustainability of aquaculture and Pullin ( 2011 ) has further reviewed
the paramount issue of choice of species and feeds, for responsible and sustainable aquaculture.
6 Food Security in the Context of Fisheries and Aquaculture…
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, the farming of aquatic organisms, is still widely regarded as a separate
sector within food production and/or as a separate subsector of capture fi sheries,
despite the fact that farming domesticated fi sh and hunting wild fi sh have little in
common. Unfortunately, monosectorial and subsectorial policies and institutions
have typi fi ed many sectors – agriculture, fi sheries, forestry, mining, tourism, transport, water supply and waste disposal that depend upon the very same ecosystems.
This is a major impediment to equitable and sustainable use of natural resources and
therefore a threat to the health of ecosystems and to food security. Institutional
change to remedy this is likely to be slow.
The main shifts that are needed concerning the role of farmed aquatic organisms
in food security are: (i) recognition that aquaculture is the farming of aquatic plants
and animals and therefore requires subsectorial policies and institutions within the
agriculture sector, like those for crops and livestock agriculture; (ii) capture
fi sheries, including those enhanced by arti fi cial stocking, also require sectorial
policies and institutions; and (iii) policies and institutions for both the aquaculture
subsector and the capture fi sheries sector must be integrated with those for all other
sectors and subsectors that use the same resources, especially ecosystems, so that
they can proceed in partnership rather than con fl ict.
In 1970, aquaculture provided only 3.9% of world fi sh supply. From 1990 to
2002, aquaculture production grew on average by 10.2% per year, more any other
animal protein food sources: beef, 0.8%; mutton, 1.5%; pork, 2.5%; eggs, 3.6%; and
poultry, 4.8% (Mof fi t 2005 ) , and now contributes about 50% by volume to world
fi sh supply. Traditional aquaculture, especially in China and adjacent countries, was
closely integrated with agriculture, water management and waste recycling, but
those highly resource-ef fi cient systems, have now been largely replaced by nonintegrated systems, including intensive pellet-fed fi shponds (Edwards 2004 ) .
Similarly, in India, a long-established polyculture of six carp species, using the different natural feeding niches in fertilized ponds, has been intensi fi ed for higher
yields, through supplemental feeds (Nandeesha 2001 ) .
Intensive aquaculture, like all forms of intensive food production, has large
ecological footprints. In 2003, at least 41.6% of production of farmed fi n fi sh
and crustaceans was derived from feeding them with farm-based and/or industrially manufactured feeds (Tacon et al. 2006 ) who also reported, citing Gill
( 2005 ), that in 2004 aquaculture took 3% of the global total of industrially manufactured animal feeds, compared to: cattle, 24%; pigs, 32%; poultry, 38%:
pigs, 32%, and other animals, 3%. Aquaculture’s share of those feeds must now
be much higher and increasing, though its reliance on fi shmeal and fi sh oil is
being substantially reduced through highly innovative feed formulations. Pullin
et al. ( 2007 ) reviewed possible biological, ecological and intersectorial indicators for the sustainability of aquaculture and Pullin ( 2011 ) has further reviewed
the paramount issue of choice of species and feeds, for responsible and sustainable aquaculture.