When done in a sustainable way, aquaculture can help to solve some of the most pressing issues we face today.
- Aquaculture delivers nutritious and diverse food to a growing world population.
- Aquaculture reduces the need to catch more wild fish to meet the increasing demand for fish and therefore contributes to preserving fish stocks.
- It can provide food that is fresh and local. Supplying food closer to the consumer allows reducing carbon emissions in transport.
- Aquaculture can produce food and feed with a lower climate and environmental impact than other types of farming (e.g. farming of bovine animals for milk or meat). By consuming more food from aquaculture, we can also reduce the pressure of farming on land.
- Aquaculture activities can be a source of income and development for remote coastal and rural communities where few alternatives are available. Certain types of aquacultures contribute to the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity (e.g. mollusc farming, extensive aquaculture in ponds and wetlands, and the farming of algae and other invertebrates). These services include cleaning the water from excess nutrients and organic matter or the conservation and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity.