Can fish farming solve China’s food security issues and the planet’s growing need for sustainable protein?

‘Blue foods’ have a lower environmental impact compared to livestock, and aquaculture production for food consumption now exceeds that of wild capture

With the Earth’s population expected to rise by 3 billion by end of the century, expert says next step after discussing food security is ‘nutrition security’

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Published: 12:33pm, 10 May 2022

As the human population keeps growing so too does the need for nutritious food, raising the question of how to feed the billions more people projected to be added to the population by the end of this century.

Aquaculture – the farming of seafood – could be a beacon of hope, experts argue, and it could play a more vital role in improving the food system and combating climate change.

It may be even more important for China, the country with the biggest aquaculture industry, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the world’s production. The importance of the industry will only grow given China’s insatiable demand for food, its obsession with food security and the aggressive expansion of its ocean economy.

China’s aquaculture production, which includes farmed oysters, freshwater fish and prawns, has kept growing, albeit at a slower pace in recent years because of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and environmental protection regulations. Climate change is another factor causing changes in the diverse industry.

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Sustainable aquaculture has been important for addressing food security and protecting people’s health and researchers are now looking into ways to boost output.

A study published in Nature journal in April argued that the ocean’s ability to supply food in the future would be challenged by the expected increase in demand for seafood.