Cobia in an Aquapod - Photograph Steve Page
Globally, aquaculture is growing rapidly, but production needs to exceed current growth rates if it is to meet the projected shortfall in seafood (about 38 million tonnes per year by 2030 according to the FAO). Marine finfish can supply a major part of the projected shortfall, but to deliver, the sector will need significant additional investment. That investment, in most countries, will only be realised if investors can see clear and equitable processes are in place for licences and other approvals to be issued and some secure tenure provided for marine sites. To ensure sustainability, it will essential for appropriate regulatory measures to be put in place that foster development while ensuring environmental sustainability.
This website has been set up in response to the need for an interactive space to upload and share information about environmental monitoring, planning, policy, and regulation with reference to marine aquaculture development. Hopefully, it will reduce duplication of effort when researching and designing appropriate environmental regulatory regimes for marine aquaculture and assist in implementation of best practise principles worldwide.
Congratulations on the launch of environfinfish, a new setting for interactive alliances of ideas and comments on the concerns for a safe, environmentally and socially sound methods to ensure a sustainable supply of healthy seafood. As free-range fish farmers, we agree there clearly is a need for sustainable seafood online ‘town hall’.
We look forward to discussions that include comments on deep open ocean methodology, the aquaculture equivalent to free-range beef and poultry. At Open Blue Sea Farms we’ve named it “free-range fish farming”, and we are one of the few such operations in the world and believe our approach is part of the solution to feed an every hungry and growing world population with damaging our waters, its stakeholders, and ultimately us.
As a member of Open Blue and the seafood community, I extend best wishes for a forum that thrives.