Wider, appropriate and long-term application of genetic improvement in aquaculture, with a focus on selective breeding, will help boost food production to meet a projected increase in demand for fish and fish products with relatively little extra feed, land, water and other inputs, according to a new report from the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO).

The "State of the World's Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture" reviews the use of aquatic genetic resources both in capture fisheries and in aquaculture in areas under national jurisdiction, FAO said in an announcement. The first-ever global report of its kind is based on information provided by 92 countries that, together, represent 96% of global aquaculture production and more than 80% of production from capture fisheries, FAO said.

Aquaculture is lagging far behind terrestrial agriculture -- both crops and livestock -- in terms of the characterization, domestication and improvement of its genetic resources for food production. FAO said the report concludes that there is an opportunity to significantly enhance sustainable aquaculture production through the strategic management and development of some of the more than 550 species currently used in aquaculture.

According to the report, aquaculture producers are still largely farming wild fish, with 45% of cultured species differing little from their wild counterparts. FAO said the report also notes that just more than half of the reporting countries consider that genetic improvement is having a significant effect on their aquaculture production, in contrast with the extensive use of improved breeds and varieties in livestock and crop production.

"I strongly welcome this report, which is the fruit of a multiyear, country-driven process of data collection and analysis," FAO director-general Qu Dongyu said. "It highlights the pressures that a growing demand for fish and fish products will place on farmed species, their wild relatives and the habitats they depend on, as well as the opportunities for sustainable growth. This is why it is crucial that we safeguard, manage and further develop the planet's aquatic genetic resources, allowing organisms to grow, to adapt to natural and human-induced impacts such as climate change, to resist diseases and parasites and to continue to evolve to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and our continued fight for a Zero Hunger world."

Unleashing potential of aquaculture

According to FAO, a growing human population is expected to drive an increase in fish consumption of approximately 1.2% per annum over the next decade. It is estimated that production of fish and fish products will reach more than 200 million metric tons by 2030.

Given that production from the world's capture fisheries has stabilized at about 90-95 mmt per annum, with nearly one-third of marine fish stocks being overfished, there is little scope for additional production in the foreseeable future except through management of loss and waste and efficiencies, FAO said. The expected growth in demand for fish and fish products, therefore, needs to be largely met from aquaculture. In this context, FAO said the responsible and sustainable use of aquatic genetic resources will be essential to fulfil this role.

Numerous technologies are available to improve aquatic genetic resources, with FAO recommending a focus on well-designed, long-term selective breeding programs that can increase the productivity of aquatic species by 10% per generation, the agency said.

Wild species

The report notes that all farmed species still have wild relatives in nature, but many of these wild species are under threat and in need of targeted and prioritized conservation, FAO said. The report calls on countries to develop policies and actions to address this need.

According to the report, the most depleted wild relatives of cultured species are Russian sturgeon, huchen, beluga sturgeon, Atlantic salmon and brown trout.

The report also notes the potential impacts of escapes, including of non-native species from aquaculture farms, on biodiversity and ecosystems and calls for the responsible exchange and use of native and non-native aquatic genetic resources.

Food and nutrition security depend on a diverse and healthy food basket, of which aquatic food is an important component. Therefore, aquatic genetic resources should be included in broader food security and nutrition policies, FAO recommended.

These policies must consider long-term development strategies for aquaculture, including the transboundary management of aquatic genetic resources, access and benefit sharing, genetic improvement and conservation, and must involve many sectors and disciplines to be effective.

The report also highlights the need for greater awareness raising and capacity building to develop and sustain genetic characterization and improvement, especially in developing countries, including training geneticists to support selective breeding programs, FAO said.

At the request of FAO's Commission on Genetic Resources for Food & Agriculture, a voluntary and collaborative policy response is already under development to address the gaps and needs identified in the report. FAO member countries will review and negotiate this response prior to its adoption as a Global Plan of Action for the conservation, sustainable use and development of aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture.

Source: U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.