Vulnerability of blue foods to human-induced environmental change

Abstract

Global aquatic or ‘blue’ foods, essential to over 3.2 billion people, face challenges of maintaining supply in a changing environment while adhering to safety and sustainability standards. Despite the growing concerns over their environmental impacts, limited attention has been paid to how blue food production is influenced by anthropogenic environmental changes. Here we assess the vulnerability of global blue food systems to predominant environmental disturbances and predict the spatial impacts. Over 90% of global blue food production faces substantial risks from environmental change, with the major producers in Asia and the United States facing the greatest threats. Capture fisheries generally demonstrate higher vulnerability than aquaculture in marine environments, while the opposite is true in freshwater environments. While threats to production quantity are widespread across marine and inland systems, food safety risks are concentrated within a few countries. Identifying and supporting mitigation and adaptation measures in response to environmental stressors is particularly important in developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa where risks are high and national response capacities are low. These findings lay groundwork for future work to map environmental threats and opportunities, aiding strategic planning and policy development for resilient and sustainable blue food production under changing conditions.

Supply Chain-Based Coral Conservation: The Case of Mozuku Seaweed Farming in Onna Village, Okinawa

“…It is not easy to find suitable strains for processing that have good taste and texture and are adaptable to climate change. In addition to climate change, the OVFC has also responded to environmental changes and impacts from the land area, such as soil run-off caused by heavy rainfalls and agricultural activities, as the impact of severe weather on algae aquaculture will increase [18].…”

“…While seaweed can contribute to mitigating climate change, there are also concerns about the negative impact climate change will have on algae farming. A study measuring the impact of climate change on blue foods, including algae, has found that algae are relatively less affected compared to other blue foods [18]. Although the impact is small, the impact of severe weather on algae is relatively large compared to the other impacts, including diseases and chemicals.…”

Earth at risk: An urgent call to end the age of destruction and forge a just and sustainable future

“…One study showed that more than 90% of the world's marine food supplies are at risk from environmental changes such as rising temperatures and pollution, essential to over 3.2 billion people. Top producers like China, Norway and the United States face the biggest threat ( 118 ). Marine heatwaves ( 119 ) are increasing with negative impacts on marine organisms and ecosystems.…”

Effects of Dietary Plant Protein Replacement with Insect and Poultry By-Product Meals on the Liver Health and Serum Metabolites of Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) and Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

“…In fact, high levels of substitution in feeds for carnivorous fish can lead to adverse physiological effects on digestibility, as well as nutrient utilization, growth, metabolism, gut integrity, immune response, disease resistance, and overall health and welfare, which are still under study [8,9]. Similarly, the shift toward alternative ingredients generated through the circular bioeconomy will require significant efforts to achieve a sustainable balance between food production and resource conservation, as well as to enhance resilience to climate change within aquafeed production and aquaculture farming systems [10][11][12][13].…”