Miao W., Wilkinson S., Ellis W. (eds.) (2014) Proceedings of the Regional Consultation on Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture in Asia and the Pacific. FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand. RAP Publication 2014/20, 76 pp. 

Fish has now become an important source of diet protein for the world’s population. The world’s per capita food fish supply reached 19.2 kg in 2012, which provides about 17 percent of the animal protein in people’s diet globally.1 The supply of fish for human consumption has significantly improved from the level of 1990 at 13.5 kg despite the stagnant capture fishery production. The rapid growth of aquaculture production has played a major role in raising the fish consumption level while meeting the increased demand caused by population growth. In 2012, the global cultured food fish production reached 66.6 million tonnes, which supplied about 50 percent of the food fish for the world’s population.

Population growth will significantly increase the demand for fish in the world in the coming decades. It has been estimated that by 2030, just to maintain the current per capita level of fish consumption, the world will require at least 23 million tonnes more food fish above the current level. With stagnant capture fish production and the Asian contribution to the world’s aquaculture (90 percent), the increased demand for fish will need to be met largely by the growth of aquaculture in Asia.

As the most populous region in the world (4.18 billion in 2011)2, it is currently forecast that Asia’s population will grow by more than 700 million by 2030.3 Asia is also the region with the most dynamic growth of the economy. This population growth and economic development is expected to result in significant increase in the regional demand for fish in the coming decades. Given the intermediate projection of per capita apparent fish consumption of 25.8 kg for Asia by 2022, regional aquaculture fish production needs to reach 82.45 million tonnes.4 Assuming stagnant capture fishery production, this implies that Asian aquaculture production needs to increase 40 percent in the next ten years from the production of 58.8 million tonnes in 2012. It also means that the aquaculture production would need to increase by more than 60 percent to meet the projected apparent fish consumption by 2030.

The growth of aquaculture production has been largely attributed to past intensification. The intensification and expansion of aquaculture without proper planning and management has raised increasing concerns about the sustainability of the industry due to its impacts on the environment and natural resources and associated socio-economic issues. It would hardly be possible to meet the increasing demand for fish in the region and the world without aquaculture intensification given the increasing scarcity of water, land and other aquaculture resources resulting from population growth and competition from other uses in the region. Therefore, sustainable intensification will be the key to maintaining the required growth of aquaculture for meeting the increasing demand for fish in the region as well as in the world.

This publication is the output of an FAO-APFIC-NACA Regional Consultation on Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture in Asia and the Pacific held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 9 to 11 October 2012. The consultation was jointly organized by the Asia-Pacific Fishery Commission and the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA). Its aim was to support sustainable intensification of aquaculture in the region. The consultation was attended by 47 participants from 17 country governments, five international and regional organizations, six universities, national think-tanks and the private sector, which enabled an extensive sharing of the available scientific knowledge and country experiences related to sustainable intensification and identification of priority areas for research and development. The publication is expected to provide policy-makers, professionals and various stakeholders an important entry document for promoting sustainable intensification of aquaculture.