14 DECEMBER 2012 • WORLD AQUACULTURE • WWW.WAS.ORG Background An Asia-Pacific regional consultation on sustainable intensification of aquaculture was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 9-11 October 2012. The consultation was jointly organized and convened by the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission (APFIC), the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAORAP), and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). According to the prospects for the meeting, the world population is forecast to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. To feed these numbers, global agricultural output including crops, livestock and fisheries must increase by around 60 percent from present levels. Our starting position is that around one billion people globally are suffering from hunger and poverty right now. More than half of them — 578 million — live in the Asian region. Fisheries products play an important role in food security and nutrition by providing low-cost animal protein, healthy fats and nutrients. Fish is often the only affordable source of animal protein available to poor and nutritionally challenged people, and can exceed 80 percent of dietary protein intake in some countries such as Cambodia. Due to stagnant capture fisheries production, aquaculture development is seen as the only way to meet the increasing world demand. Around 50 percent of global food fish supplies already come from farmed sources. Asian aquaculture has grown rapidly over the past three decades, and now represents more than 90 percent of global aquaculture output by volume. The growth of the industry has largely been a result of two major factors: intensification through technological advances and increased use of feed and other resources. While the growth of Asian aquaculture has contributed to food security and rural livelihoods, it has also caused significant environmental disturbance. Intensifying aquaculture production in a sustainable manner is a massive challenge. Just to maintain per capita fish consumption at current levels will require an increase in global supply of around 60 percent. The target will be even higher for the Asia-Pacific region when population trends and dietary preferences are taken into consideration. Meeting this demand using conventional farming practices will not be possible without causing irreversible environmental impact. The utilization of natural resources in agricultural production is increasingly being understood in terms of the related ecological costs. Maintaining environmental integrity while increasing food production by 60 percent will require that all agricultural sectors reduce their unit production environmental footprint. Many farming practices that are regarded as sustainable today will simply not be sustainable when conducted on a larger scale. Sustainable intensification of aquaculture therefore means doing more with less. Competition for essential resources such as water, suitable farming sites, energy, fishmeal, fish oil and other feed ingredients will inevitably constrain the growth of the industry. Aquaculture must use natural resources in more efficient ways, both in terms of farm productivity and environmental efficiency. Each kilogram of food grown tomorrow must have less environmental impact than it does today. We need to start building more efficient farming systems now and for tomorrow. As the leading aquaculture region with more than 90 percent of world production, this challenge presents both opportunities and responsibilities for the AsiaPacific region. Participation The consultation brought together a diverse group of almost 50 stakeholders (representatives from 17 of the 22 country governments comprising NACA, regional and international bodies, selected leading regional and international actors from the public and private sectors) in a round-table consultation. Fourteen presentations were made by participants, including a video presentation by Jason Clay of WWF on ‘Feeding 9 billion people sustainably’ that helped to focus the participants on the task at hand. Working groups were an integral part of the consultation with plenary session feedback of discussions and a final plenary session to draft the Consensus Statement. Outputs The consultation developed a regional strategic policy framework to guide national governments and regional organizations in promoting sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. The consultation also identified priority actions for the region and, where possible, practical measures for their implementation. A technical publication is in preparation that will include review papers, documentation of existing successful practices and country position papers on the sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the region; and summaries of the meeting discussions, major findings, conclusions and recommendations. The Conclusions and Recommendations of the FAO/APFIC/ NACA Regional Consultation on Sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific entitled “Regional challenges and actions to support sustainable intensification”’ are being finalized. APFIC/FAORAP/NACA Consultation on Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific: Towards a New Paradigm Conference Report
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