A SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD SOLUTION

Feeding future generations.

By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion people, an increase of almost 3 billion people over the next 30 years. Put in context, that increase is equivalent to 9 times the population of the United States – 75 times the population of California. Feeding that many people is going to be a serious challenge. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that food production will need to increase by 70% to meet the growing demand – much of that from an anticipated three billion new middle-class consumers world-wide.

Terrestrial agriculture alone cannot support this increased demand, and wild fisheries are reaching their limit – even the best management programs will not enable them to keep pace. Capture fishery landings have not increased appreciably for 30 years, and the anticipated impacts on wild fish populations from climate change make it less likely that wild stocks will be able to withstand additional harvest pressure.

is Fast Approaching

%

Increase in Population

Billion More People to Feed

%

Increase In Need for Protein

How will we increase food supply while minimizing environmental impacts?

Pacific Ocean AquaFarms (POA) believes that offshore marine aquaculture must play a critical role in meeting this enormous challenge. The ocean covers more than 70% of the earth’s surface, yet it currently produces less than 2% of the world’s food supply. Alternative ways to responsibly utilize the ocean’s potential are therefore essential.

Seafood is one of the healthiest foods on the planet – it is high protein, low fat and nutritionally rich – and marine aquaculture is one of the most resource-efficient and environmentally friendly ways to produce it.  Compared to other forms of animal protein production, marine aquaculture requires:

 

Less fresh water 

• Less land area

Less feed for the resulting protein yield 

Less energy and fossil fuel for production 

• Less generation of climate threatening gases

From a sustainability standpoint, aquaculture is an imperative.

Advancing marine aquaculture in the United States.

Around the world, nations are investing heavily in sustainable aquaculture to meet the increasing demand and boost their seafood security. Aquaculture is already a vital food solution globally, with the fastest growth rate of any food production method.

The U.S., however, needs to increase its aquaculture production. We are the fourth largest consumer of seafood in the world and the single largest importer of seafood.  With our own wild fisheries at or near maximum sustainable yield, we rely on other countries for over 90% of the seafood we consume.  The bulk of this is caught or farmed in other countries but a portion is domestically sourced, exported for processing, and then reimported.  This reliance on other countries not only contributes to a substantial trade deficit (over $16.8 billion annually), it threatens our future food security, exports jobs, puts consumers at the mercy of foreign regulation and farming practices for the quantity, quality and safety of the seafood we eat, and increases the carbon footprint of our seafood.

Recognizing this imperative, POA is proud to advance sustainable marine aquaculture in the United States. By working with research institutions, government agencies, scientists, environmentalists, and practicing fishermen and farmers, we’re developing a model for offshore aquaculture that will produce healthful seafood, create local jobs and support working waterfronts – guided by responsible ocean stewardship and diligent consideration for the environment.

“With Earth’s burgeoning populations to feed, we must turn to the sea with new understanding and new technology. We must learn to farm the sea as we have farmed the land.”
– Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Explorer, Conservationist, Filmmaker, Scientist

DO IT HERE. DO IT RIGHT. DO IT NOW.