How Climate Change is Reshaping Aquaculture: Challenges, Opportunities, and Adaptation Strategies

The Impact of Climate Change on Aquaculture

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing sectors of global agricultural production and already provides around half of the fish and shellfish on international markets. Despite its tremendous progress and significant contribution to global food security, climate change is expected to have serious consequences for the aquaculture sector, bringing about significant changes in production conditions and management processes.

These impacts are not yet fully understood, mainly due to the uncertainty caused by global climate models and the differences between regions. The impact of climate change will depend on the local climatic conditions, the geographical location of aquaculture farms, the type of farmed organisms (fish, shellfish, plants), and the management applied. In the most vulnerable areas, such as tropical and subtropical zones, the impacts may be particularly negative, while in colder areas, some positive developments may be observed.

Climate change is expected to directly affect water conditions in aquaculture, both in freshwater and in marine and brackish waters. Increased water temperatures may cause changes in species distribution, affect reproduction and feeding of organisms, and increase the spread of diseases and pests. In addition, changes in rainfall can affect the quality and quantity of water available, affecting the viability of aquaculture, especially in areas dependent on specific water sources.

The largest indirect impact of climate change on the aquaculture sector is expected to result from the dependence on exogenous food supplies for farmed organisms. Disruptions in feed production, such as a decline in fish stocks or a change in the availability of raw materials for feed, are likely to increase costs and disrupt supply chains.
However, despite the negative consequences associated with climate change, there are also some positive impacts that can result from changing climate conditions. For example, the development of aquaculture in areas with colder waters, which were previously unsuitable for farming, can boost production and offer new opportunities for growth.

Improved understanding of climate change and its impacts on the aquaculture sector requires the development of more accurate models and long-term projections that take into account local parameters and the interactions between climate and environmental parameters. Integrating this knowledge into development strategy and management processes is therefore critical to addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

Adaptation of aquaculture systems requires strategies based on innovation, optimisation of water management and feeding of organisms, and the use of technologies that reduce dependence on exogenous feed. For example, the development of new, hardy species that are more resilient to extreme temperatures or conditions, and the adoption of sustainable and climate-resilient practices, are important steps towards resilience.

Climate change also brings to the surface the need for preventive measures to reduce negative impacts on the environment, such as preventing eutrophication and ocean acidification.

Overall, the aquaculture sector needs to prepare for the future and face the growing challenges of climate change with strategies that promote sustainability, innovation and flexibility. The results of this preparation are crucial to ensure stable and sustainable aquaculture production, which is essential to meet the growing global demand for food.

References

Bostock, J., McAndrew, B., Richards, R., Jauncey, K., Telfer, T., Lorenzen, K., ... & Corner, R. (2010). Aquaculture: global status and trends. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 365(1554), 2897-2912.

Meade, J. W. (2012). Aquaculture management. Springer Science & Business Media.

Galappaththi, E. K., Ichien, S. T., Hyman, A. A., Aubrac, C. J., & Ford, J. D. (2020). Climate change adaptation in aquaculture. Reviews in Aquaculture, 12(4), 2160-2176.

Reid, G. K., Gurney-Smith, H. J., Flaherty, M., Garber, A. F., Forster, I., Brewer-Dalton, K., ... & De Silva, S. (2019). Climate change and aquaculture: considering adaptation potential. Aquaculture Environment Interactions, 11, 603-624.

Ahmed, N., Thompson, S., & Glaser, M. (2019). Global aquaculture productivity, environmental sustainability, and climate change adaptability. Environmental management, 63, 159-172.

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