A 20-year retrospective review of global aquaculture

Summary

This 20-year retrospective review synthesises global aquaculture development from 1997 to 2017 across all industry sub-sectors, emphasising the sector's growing role in food security. The review documents substantial improvements in feed efficiency and fish nutrition—particularly reducing fish-in-fish-out ratios—whilst identifying persistent sustainability challenges including marine ingredient dependence, pathogen management, and uncertain climate impacts. It highlights the underexploited potential of molluscs and seaweed for nutritional security and ecosystem service provision.

Regional applicability

This global retrospective has direct relevance to United Kingdom aquaculture policy and practice, particularly in understanding the sector's feed efficiency improvements and sustainability governance frameworks that align with UK environmental regulations. The findings on pathogen management and climate resilience are applicable to UK-based and UK-sourced aquaculture operations, though UK production represents a small fraction of global volumes; transferability of Asian inland aquaculture insights to UK conditions is limited by geography and infrastructure.

Key measures

Fish-in-fish-out (FIFO) ratios for fed species; contribution to global food security and nutritional supply; dependence on marine versus terrestrial feed ingredients; ecosystem services from molluscs and seaweed; pathogen and pest management effectiveness; climate change vulnerability

Outcomes reported

The study reviewed developments in global aquaculture across all industry sub-sectors from 1997 to 2017, examining production volumes, feed efficiency, nutritional contributions, and sustainability challenges. It synthesised progress in aquaculture integration into the global food system, including inland and marine production, molluscs, and seaweed culture.

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