The increase in global fish consumption far outpaced the world's population growth in the past few decades, and is expected to continue doing so in the coming years. This growing demand for fish continues to challenge the notion of sustainability in the fisheries industry. 

In a bid to achieve a more sustainable future for the fisheries, more and more groups are now turning to aquaculture. 

From possible damage to coastal ecosystems to water pollution, fish farming has its fair share of adverse environmental impacts. However, innovations in aquaculture today are increasing fish protein production while minimizing its impacts, especially compared to mass open-sea fishing methods, according to Macleod. 

It is estimated that around 52 percent of the world's seafood supply comes from aquaculture, and this percentage continues to rise. 

There were already notable initiatives to make aquaculture more sustainable. The respective governments of Thailand and Ecuador already rolled out plans to prevent unnecessary mass deforestation and wetland conversion for the sake of fish farming. 

There were also commitments to implementing net-positive aquaculture, an approach in which aquatic farms put back more into the environment than they take out. In some countries, like the Philippines and Vietnam, net-positive aquaculture is realized through seaweed production. Seaweeds help in improving the condition of the water and in sequestering carbon dioxide.

Mitigating the impacts of aquaculture is a viable path to attaining sustainability in the fisheries sector. 

Source

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