Blue Transformation: Safeguarding the contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to the food and nutrition security of 10 billion people
In 1995 the FAO member countries endorsed the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF), establishing principles for responsible fisheries and aquaculture development, with a view to ensuring the responsible conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources. Twenty-five years later the sector has experienced a significant transformation: • Capture fisheries production has stabilized, even though one in three fish stocks is now overfished, • Aquaculture production has grown almost 4-fold, and now provides about half of the fish we eat, • Fish consumption has been growing at twice the human population growth rate, in addition to supporting the livelihoods of 10% of the world’s population, • Fish has become one of the most highly traded food commodities, providing a larger net income for developing countries than all other agricultural commodities combined.
But more is expected from the fisheries and aquaculture sector as we approach a world of 10 billion mouths. However, if the sector’s contribution to the food security of many nations is to increase, many challenges need addressing, from overfishing and equitable access to resources, to aquaculture biosecurity and genetic improvements, including climate change impacts and opportunities. To achieve these expectations the sector needs a dynamic and targeted transformation, a collective new impetus to ensure that our aquatic food systems are resilient and meet growing demand for nutritious, safe and affordable food while maintaining sustainable ecosystems, economies and societies.
In this keynote we will revisit the transformations in the sector in the last 25 years and propose the basis for a global Blue Transformation initiative, combining technological developments, political commitments, financial investments and consumer awareness. As we enter the UN Decade of marine science for sustainable development, Blue Transformation can provide a new and positive vision for fisheries and aquaculture in the twenty-first century, where the sector is fully recognized for its contribution to fighting poverty, hunger and malnutrition, its ability to prepare for and respond to changing climate and ocean conditions, and its commitment to sustainability.