Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms (finfish, shellfish, crustaceans, and seaweed) under managed conditions, and since 2013 it has supplied more aquatic food for human consumption than capture fisheries. The FAO’s 2024 report put aquaculture production at 130.9 million tonnes, led by China. Systems range from open net-pen mariculture to land-based recirculating aquaculture and integrated multi-trophic setups, each with its own footprint of feed demand, effluent, escapes, and disease management.