Planning for aquaculture diversification: the importance of climate change and other drivers

This publication is the proceedings of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations expert technical workshop on "Planning for aquaculture diversification: the importance of climate change and other drivers", which was held in Rome (Italy), 23–25 June, 2016 and organized by the Aquaculture Branch of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department and World Fisheries Trust (Canada).

The workshop identified three main strategies for aquaculture diversification: (1) increase the number of species being farmed; (2) increase the evenness of farmed species; and (3) increase the diversity within currently farmed species by developing new strains. The workshop identified some primary drivers of diversification: market demand (including export opportunities), funding opportunities, competition and climate change, as well as other environmental and social factors. Diversification of species and culture systems and a more even distribution of production could provide resilience in the face of a changing climate and other external drivers and add economic, social and ecological insurance to aquaculture systems. However, diversification is not without risks and may not always be a viable means to increase fish production. In addition to purely economic costs there will be associated development costs, including evaluation and mitigation of environmental and social impacts and establishment of species-specific biosecurity frameworks. The workshop identified general principles that can help guide diversification in aquaculture.