Culinary Technology & Baking and Pastry Arts

The demands of a growing population, particularly in poorer countries, now far outstrip the sustainable yield of the seas. At the same time as fishing has become more industrialised, and wild fish stocks increasingly depleted, aquaculture production has grown rapidly to address the shortfalls in capture fisheries.

Aquaculture – or fish farming – will provide close to two thirds of global food fish consumption by 2030 as catches from wild capture fisheries level off and demand from an emerging global middle class substantially increases.

NOAA Fisheries provides easy-to-understand science-based facts to help consumers make smart sustainable seafood choices.

Aquaculture is developing, expanding and intensifying in almost all regions of the world, except in Sub-Saharan Africa, as the global population demand for aquatic food products is expected to increase.

New research shows that aquaculture production will need to more than double again between now and 2050 to meet the demands of a growing population.

Industrial aquaculture has intensified the depletion of our ocean resources, added new threats to our marine ecosystem and wildlife, and created new risks to human health and the environment—all to the detriment of the traditional fishing economies and the public.

In addition to risking both fish and environmental health, aquacultural practices may endanger human health.