14 Responsible and Sustainable Aquaculture
A focus on perpetual improvement: Why the marine ingredients sector is embracing lifecycle assessment sciences By Brett D. Glencross
The sustainability of growth
Over the past 20 years we have seen unprecedented growth in the aquaculture sector and predictions are for this to continue. In 2020 global aquaculture production was reported at around 63 million tonnes per annum, using about 52 million tonnes of feed (Figure 1). Based on the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) estimates for aquaculture production up to 2050, we may see aquaculture production more than double and reach yields of 140 million tonnes. However, this will also mean that feed production needs to at least double to over 100 million tonnes during this time. But where will we get the feed ingredients to sustain that and just as importantly, how can we ensure the sustainability of that?
Figure 1. Global aquafeed production and fishmeal use (tonnes and percent of total feed) by aquaculture from 2000 to 2020. Source: IFFO, 2022.
Notably, that first condition for use of renewable resources strikes a clear chord with the marine ingredients sector. Especially in the present day, when nearly all the major forage fisheries are independently quota regulated and increasingly independently certified as well. However, the further you dig into the sustainability story, it becomes apparent that there are several different approaches. A simple search on the internet provides an extensive list of various alternatives [wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability_ metrics_and_indices]. This has become part of the issue in understanding the requirements of sustainable development and the various metrics that are used. So, the other question to ask is, why do we need metrics?
You cannot manage, what you cannot measure!
Generic Figure
What does “sustainability” mean?
That term “sustainability” is one that is widely used these days. The original Brundtland definition was something like “sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” It did not take long for us to realise that there was little in food production that met those criteria. An alternative approach was proposed by Herman E. Daly (former Chief Economist for the World Bank), who proposed three operational rules defining the conditions for ecological sustainability: • Renewable resources such as fish, soil and groundwater must be used no faster than the rate at which they regenerate. • Non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels must be used no faster than renewable substitutes for them can be put into place. • Pollution and wastes must be emitted no faster than natural systems can absorb them, recycle them, or render them harmless.
May/June 2022 AQUA Culture Asia Pacific
Metrics, irrespective of what they are used for, are simply a basis for establishing relevant goals and measuring progress against them. This allows then, for you to demonstrate impact, effectiveness, and value against those goals. In effect, you cannot manage something if you cannot measure it. The process of establishing relevant metrics is almost a field in itself. However, most of us will have heard of SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time bound) approaches to performance management and establishing metrics for sustainability criteria is no different in this regard. In pursuit of sustainability in food production systems around the world, various metrics have been proposed; however, the one gaining most favour and utility over the past decade has been that of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). An LCA approach to sustainable development aims to compare the full range of environmental effects assignable to defined products and services by quantifying all the inputs and outputs associated with various material and energy flows and assessing how these flows affect the environment (Figure 2).
