A Global Assessment of Species Diversification in Aquaculture

Aquaculture is a diverse food production system, and a high species diversity in aquaculture can make the global food system more resilient. Species diversification could facilitate aquaculture growth through multiple mechanisms and increase the sector's resilience and long-term sustainability. Facing increasing challenges from climate change, disease outbreaks, market fluctuations, and other disturbances, species diversification has become a widely recognized and endorsed development strategy in the policy and scientific communities for the growth and resilience of the aquaculture sector.

However, many attempts to establish new species have yielded little long-term success, and the private sector often concentrates efforts on the most advantageous species for rapid growth. This paper presents a comprehensive assessment of aquaculture species diversification at the global, regional (more than 30 country groups), and national (nearly 200 countries) levels, covering the period 1950 to 2020 with a focus on 1990 to 2020. Evidence-based policymaking and sector management regarding species diversification entail collaborative efforts among policymakers, scientists, and the aquaculture community to expand and refine assessment frameworks, improve data availability and quality, and efficiently utilize information, knowledge, and insights generated by these assessments to inform decision making at various levels.

Cai J, Chan HL, Yan X, Leung P 2023. A global assessment of species diversification in aquaculture Aquaculture, 576.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2023.739837