Thursday October 17, 2024
PhysOrg —
A study published in the journal Science Advances suggests that global fish farming, or aquaculture, may rely on significantly larger quantities of wild-caught ocean fish than previously calculated. The study is part of a special issue focused on expanding contributions from the aquaculture industry to food systems with an aim towards sustainability.
These findings call into question long-held assumptions about the sustainability of the rapidly growing aquaculture industry and provide a range of plausible estimates for its impact on wild fish populations.
The research, led by an international team of scientists from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, Oceana, and New York University, provides a reassessment of the “fish-in:fish-out” (FI:FO) ratio for global fed aquaculture—a key metric used to evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of aquaculture.