The Blue Revolution refers to the significant growth and intensification of global

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lotus ...

production -domestication and farming of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% ...

shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater env ...

, and

aquatic plant Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments ( saltwater or freshwater). They are also referred to as hydrophytes or macrophytes to distinguish them from algae and other microphytes. A macrophyte is a plant that ...

s- from the middle of the 20th century to present, particularly in underdeveloped countries. The peak and subsequent stagnation of

capture fishery A wild fishery is a natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal (crustaceans and molluscs) population that can be harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine (saltwater) or lacustrine/ ...

production in the late 1980s spurred

technological innovation Technological innovation is an extended concept of innovation. While innovation is a rather well-defined concept, it has a broad meaning to many people, and especially numerous understanding in the academic and business world. Innovation refers t ...

and improved efficiency for aquaculture production. Since then, aquaculture has grown exponentially and now represents the main source for global fish supply for direct human consumption and other purposes, and is a critical part of the global

food system The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: grow ...

. The Blue Revolution and expansion of aquaculture is expected to continue to grow, increasing by approximately 30% by 2030 from current levels.

Emergence of the Blue Revolution

Prior to the 1980s, global fish supply from aquaculture did not represent a significant

food source Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingest ...

. However, depletion of

ocean fisheries A fishery is an area with an associated fish or aquatic population which is harvested for its commercial value. Fisheries can be wild or farmed. Most of the world's wild fisheries are in the ocean. This article is an overview of ocean fisheries. S ...

and subsequent decline of capture fishery production caused aquaculture to grow rapidly. From the mid-1980s to 2000, global aquaculture production increased by more than 50%, and cemented itself as a significant source for global fish supply. Since 2000, aquaculture has been the fastest growing food production sector, growing 5.8% per year, supplying over 100 metric tonnes of fish, shellfish and

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), ''Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ke ...

s from 425 species in 2017. The Blue Revolution was initially concentrated in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

, and China in particular. Aquaculture in Asian countries continues to dominate, accounting for 89% of global aquaculture production, with China alone accounts for 58% of global production. However, it is also intensifying in other regions, with growth rates in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

, and more recently

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, outpacing China. The Blue Revolution has driven and supported global increase in global fish consumption since the 1980s. Over the last several decades, global fish consumption has increased 3.1% per year, and is primarily supplied through aquaculture.

Freshwater Aquaculture

The Blue Revolution over the last two decades has increasingly been shaped by growth in freshwater aquaculture. Freshwater aquaculture, such as inland farming in rivers and lakes, is now the most significant contributor to aquaculture, and accounts for the majority supply of fish for direct human consumption. South and Southeast Asia are the largest producers of freshwater aquaculture. Rather than for export, freshwater aquaculture is largely produced for domestic use and consumption. This has the potential to increase availability and accessibility of fish, but also presents challenges in terms of over-intensification,

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

of water sources, and introduction of diseases.

Potential Benefits of the Blue Revolution

Food and Nutrient Security

The Blue Revolution has improved accessibility and availability of farmed fish in some regions, therefore potentially improving

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ...

and nutrient security, especially in low-income nations and rural populations. Increased aquaculture production has enabled a reliable fish supply that is more stable than wild fish catches. Further, aquaculture’s boom has driven down the price of most farmed species, making them more affordable for low-income households. Meanwhile, reduced wild fish stocks has increased the price of fish from other fishing industries and practices. In recent decades, aquaculture in underdeveloped countries has mostly gone towards domestic consumption, rather than

international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...

. Reduced prices and year-long predictable supply has allowed food insecure regions with high aquaculture production to improve food conditions for some of their most vulnerable populations. Fish for direct human consumption are an excellent source for many important nutrients, such as omega 3-fatty acids,

iodine Iodine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid at standard conditions that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , ...

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble secosteroids responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, and many other biological effects. In humans, the most important compounds in this group are vitamin D3 ...

iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in ...

and

calcium Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...

. Fish are also a significant source of protein for much of the global population, providing over 3 billion people with about 20% of their animal protein. In small-island states, and West Africa, fish provides up to 50% of protein intake. Increased consumption of fish from the Blue Revolution can ameliorate conditions of

nutrient deficiencies Malnutrition occurs when an organism gets too few or too many nutrients, resulting in health problems. Specifically, it is "a deficiency, excess, or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients" which adversely affects the body's tissues ...

in low-income malnourished populations in underdeveloped regions. However, in some regions, such as Africa, fish consumption is expected to decrease in coming decades, potentially threatening food and nutrient security in existing vulnerable groups.

Livelihoods and Poverty Alleviation

The Blue Revolution and aquaculture activities play an important role in supporting

livelihood A person's livelihood (derived from ''life-lode'', "way of life"; cf. OG ''lib-leit'') refers to their "means of securing the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing) of life". Livelihood is defined as a set of activities essential ...

s and reducing

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse < ...

, especially for rural populations. In 2018, over 20 million people globally were employed and got their

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. F ...

from aquaculture related activities. Generally, aquaculture can provide a higher income to low-income, rural households than agriculture. In underdeveloped countries, many people rely on income from seafood production to support their livelihoods in addition to other sources of income. This is especially true for small-scale aquaculture, which is most often practiced in rural areas. Aquaculture also as positive indirect effects of

poverty alleviation Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation, is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics clas ...

through spill-over from surplus income and employment linkages to those in jobs associated with fish farming. The growth of freshwater aquaculture has helped provide income and reduce poverty, specifically in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Also fish farming has positive effects on

income distribution In economics, income distribution covers how a country's total GDP is distributed amongst its population. Economic theory and economic policy have long seen income and its distribution as a central concern. Unequal distribution of income causes ec ...

, attenuating the levels of inequality in rural coastal localities where salmon farms are established, compared to localities where salmon farms are not established. For example, in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million pe ...

, aquaculture activities facilitate per capita income to grow 2.1% between 2000 and 2010, reducing national poverty levels.{{Cite journal, last1=Rashid, first1=Shahidur, last2=Minot, first2=Nicholas, last3=Lemma, first3=Solomon, date=2019, title=Does a "Blue Revolution" help the poor? Evidence from Bangladesh, journal=Agricultural Economics, language=en, volume=50, issue=2, pages=139–150, doi=10.1111/agec.12472, s2cid=134095602, issn=1574-0862, doi-access=free

References