Interpretive Summary: Sustainable aquaculture practices in South Asia: a comparative analysis of feed formulation and utilization

By: Shiba Shankar Giri

Implications

• South Asia practices a variety of sustainable aquaculture feed practices, including farm-made feed preparation methods for freshwater and marine fish.
• Raw material availability, cost-effectiveness, feeding regimens, and technological tools, are key factors for success.
• The varying reliance on locally sourced ingredients and the role of commercial pellet feeds reflects each country’s unique socio-economic and environmental context.
• Offering insights for policy-making and research to enhance food security and environmental conservation.

The fisheries and aquaculture sectors are vital in ensuring global food and nutritional security. As per FAO (2022), the global production of aquatic animals was a staggering 178 million tonnes in 2020, with aquaculture contributing a significant 87.5 million tonnes. This means that almost half of the global aquaculture animal production, at 49%, is due to the aquaculture sector. This is not just a remarkable shift but a monumental one, from the 4% share aquaculture had in the 1950s, 5% in the 1970s, 20% in the 1990s, and 44% in the 2010s. Aquaculture is not just the fastest-growing food production system globally; it has become a hope for our future food security, projected to grow at 14% by 2030 (FAO, 2022). Aquaculture plays a pivotal role in ensuring food, nutrition, and livelihood security on a global scale, which highlights its significance as a topic of utmost importance, invoking a sense of urgency and importance in our audience.

Read more in Animal Frontiers.