Award-winning fishery scientist, educator and brand ambassador for Secret Island Emily De Sousa explains why sustainable aquaculture is beneficial for the environment and consumers alike.
Over the last three decades, the face of the seafood industry has changed dramatically. Today, over 50% of the seafood that we eat is farmed. This wasn’t the case only 30 years ago when only about 17% of our seafood came from aquaculture.
Aquaculture is becoming an increasingly more important part of the seafood industry and of the global food system. But, depending on where you are in the world, the term “aquaculture” will be met with excitement, confusion, or downright rage.
While aquaculture’s rapid growth might make it seem like a new and novel method of food production – and let’s face it, no one likes change – the reality is that aquaculture has been practiced for thousands of years. Oysters in Japan and fish in Egypt were cultured before 2000 BC.
Fish farming is actually an ancient method of food production and has been used for decades to responsibly harvest marine resources in order to sustain communities year-round. Unfortunately, that’s not usually what people have in mind when they picture aquaculture in 2023. Instead, they’re worried about things like disease, sea lice, escapes and waste build-up.
Learning curves
But much of what people think they know about aquaculture is either completely false or incredibly outdated. And I’ll be honest, 30 years ago the aquaculture industry was not the beacon of hope that it is today. Thirty years ago, the industry was very much dealing with growing pains, so to speak. It was failing publicly, the way any of us do with any new venture – from learning to walk to summiting Everest or starting a new business – no one gets anything right the first time.
And so modern aquaculture had a messy entry into the scene in a lot of ways. But what’s been more remarkable than anything, is how quickly they’ve cleaned up that mess and gotten steamrolling on the path to being a global leader in sustainable food production. Today, aquaculture is the largest growing food producing sector in the world.
30 years ago, the industry was still grappling with how to reduce its wild fish use in feed, how to build better cages to withstand weather and limit escapes, how to manage disease without antibiotics, and how to grow healthier, high-quality fish.
30 years ago, you could also smoke in public places like restaurants and offices.
30 years ago, most people would go out in the sun without sunscreen, unaware of the risks of UV rays.
30 years ago, we didn’t have nearly all the “nut-free” options we have now thanks to our better understanding of nut allergies.
I could go on forever, but the point is, the world has changed a lot in 30 years. And aquaculture is no exception.
This is the epitome of science and technological innovation. This is the definition of progress. And the aquaculture industry isn’t recognised enough for the amount of progress it’s made in the world.
Leading the way
Thirty years ago, global seafood production was 95 million tonnes. Today, it’s 179 million tonnes. With over 50% of it coming from aquaculture. And that number is only expected to increase. And according to research like The Future of Food from the Sea, if managed sustainably aquaculture will be able to produce up to 74% more food than it currently does.
All methods of food production have impacts, but aquaculture has one of the smallest environmental footprints. Especially when farming is being managed sustainability and utilising good technology.
Companies like Secret Island Salmon are at the forefront of this blue revolution of our food system. They’re sustainable salmon farming operation in the south of Chile uses state of the art technology to limit escapes, improve disease resistance, and increase efficiencies by employing recirculating technology.
And as an operation who’s achieved 4-star Best Aquaculture Practices certification, we can feel confident knowing that third-party auditors have assessed every step of the supply chain and found that the highest standards of environmental stewardship, social responsibility and animal welfare are being met.
Third-party certifications are just one way to keep the aquaculture industry in check and ensure that everyone is held to rigorous standards. Government regulations, investments in technology, and consumer demand for sustainable products will all help ensure that the aquaculture industry continues to provide food in a responsible way.
If we embrace the power of the ocean and support sustainable aquaculture production through innovation, technology, and policy reform, aquaculture could produce almost 25% of the protein increase we’d need to feed 9.8 billion people by 2050.
In 1971, beloved ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau called for us to embrace fish farming in order to protect the oceans and feed the world. He said, “We must plant the sea and herd its animals using the sea as farmers instead of hunters.
About Emily De Sousa
Portuguese-Canadian sustainable seafood educator and content creator De Sousa is based in Niagara, ON. Her brand, Seaside with Emily teaches followers about healthy oceans, sustainable seafood and culinary adventures focused on the rise of Pescatourism. She also works as a Market Expert on Fisheries and Aquaculture Products for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In 2019, De Sousa was the recipient of the Canadian Science Policy Centre’s 2019 Youth Science Policy Award of Excellence for her policy recommendation, “Eliminating Seafood Fraud: A Fishy Approach to Food Policy”, and in 2021, she was awarded the Research Impact Canada Knowledge Mobilization Award for her role in the production of the Social FISHtancing podcast. She has also featured on Good Morning America as a sustainable seafood expert and is a TEDx speaker.
