Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA. beltonbe@msu.edu
  • 2 Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland, UK
  • 3 College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, 201306, China
  • 4 School of Environment, Resources and Development, Asian Institute of Technology, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, Thailand
  • 5 Department of Criminology, Anthropology, and Sociology, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH, USA
  • 6 WorldFish, Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
Nat Commun, 2020 11 16;11(1):5804.
PMID: 33199697 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19679-9

Abstract

Recent literature on marine fish farming brands it as potentially compatible with sustainable resource use, conservation, and human nutrition goals, and aligns with the emerging policy discourse of 'blue growth'. We advance a two-pronged critique. First, contemporary narratives tend to overstate marine finfish aquaculture's potential to deliver food security and environmental sustainability. Second, they often align with efforts to enclose maritime space that could facilitate its allocation to extractive industries and conservation interests and exclude fishers. Policies and investments that seek to increase the availability and accessibility of affordable and sustainable farmed aquatic foods should focus on freshwater aquaculture.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.