Seafood farming’s growth rate has already peaked, and now it’s in decline

Dr. Rashid Sumaila - The growth rate of seafood farming worldwide peaked in 1996 according to new UBC research, highlighting the importance of rebuilding wild fish stocks to feed future demand. If we were to rely only on aquaculture to meet the demand for seafood by 2030, the world's production would need to grow at three times the current projected rate, the study found. In this Q&A, co-authors Dr. Rashid Sumaila, professor in UBC's Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries and the school of public policy and global affairs, and Dr. Muhammed Oyinlola, postdoctoral fellow in the UBC department of zoology and the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, discuss why we can't rely on just farmed seafood for our fishy needs. Your study discusses aquaculture 'over-optimism'. What is that? . RS: We feel there's a sense of over-optimism about seafood farming and its production, with news articles titled, "Can sustainable aquaculture feed the world?" and the like. People tend to focus on the growth rate of the industry, and to view aquaculture as the solution to our food security woes caused by overfishing, climate change and more.