Consultation workshop on blue transformation of aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific Region

Blue transformation is FAO’s vision of how to achieve a balance between the need for positive societal outcomes and ecological sustainability in food production from the blue economy. It has three core components, namely:

• Sustaining fish supplies and feed the world through aquaculture intensification. As aquaculture will provide the majority of supply increases – scale-up, address resource-use bottlenecks and transfer knowledge through sustainable development of aquaculture.
• Transforming fisheries through better management. By addressing overfishing and overcapacity, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and rebuilding overexploited stocks, fisheries can improve livelihoods and supply. However effective management is non-negotiable.
• Upgrading fish value chains. Improving the efficiency, viability, and inclusiveness of fish value chains. Providing additional supply sources and ensuring socio-economic benefits, just distribution and access.

FAO has targeted a 30-45 percent growth in global aquaculture by 2030 through the following priority areas for blue transformation of aquaculture:[1]

1)      Governance, sector and policy reform

2)      Socio-economic benefits and considerations

3)      Biosecurity and disease

4)      Feed ingredient and feed technology innovations;

5)      Genetic improvement, breeding and diversification;

6)      Digital technologies and intelligent systems;

7)      Environmental control and regulation;

8)      Value chain efficiency

9)      Climate change

Objectives

This consultation workshop is to promote and support country initiatives that will contribute to blue transformation of aquaculture in the Asia-Pacific region. The specific objectives of the workshop are:

• To introduce the blue transformation of aquaculture.
• To present the current and planned priority areas and innovations identified by the countries that will contribute to the blue transformation of aquaculture.
• To summarize the regional priority areas and sub-areas and innovations contributing to Blue Transformation of aquaculture in Asia and the Pacific region.
• To present the objectives and work plan for detailed country report on priority areas, innovations, and scaling-up strategies to support blue transformation of aquaculture in Asia and the Pacific region.

Tentative programme for the consultation workshop

Wednesday, 15 September 2021, 14:00-17:45 Bangkok time (GMT+7)