The Future of Aquaculture: Key Takeaways from The Nature Conservancy and GSI’s Breakfast Briefing at SeaWeb Sustainability Summit

These questions were the main focus of a joint session hosted by the GSI and The Nature Conservancy on June 20, 2018 at the SeaWeb Sustainability Summit in Barcelona, Spain.

Moderated by Seth Theuerkauf, Marine Spatial Scientist at NOAA and The Nature Conservancy, the event featured input from panelists Robert Jones, Global Lead for Aquaculture at The Nature Conservancy, Bill DiMento, Vice President of Quality Assurance, Sustainability and Government Affairs at High Liner Foods, and Avrim Lazar, Convenor of the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI).

As one of the most eco-efficient sources of animal protein, the panel were enthusiastic about the role aquaculture can play in feeding a growing global population. Robert Jones discussed The Nature Conservancy’s belief in ‘The Aquaculture Opportunity’ and its focus on its Blue Growth strategy, and Bill DiMento discussed how growing consumer demand for sustainable farmed fish is impacting on the global supply chain.

However to meet its potential, the panel addressed the changes the sector must make to ensure aquaculture production is environmentally and socially responsible. Avrim Lazar used the example of the GSI as one model of how pre-competitive collaboration can help the fish farming industry overcome technical barriers to improvements at speed and at scale. The panelists agreed there must be a shift in thinking and discussed a number of measures of how industry and NGOs can work both separately and together to ensure a sustainable future for aquaculture.

To find out more, listen to the full recording of the event below.