The Future of Aquaculture

The global picture

According to the FAO's The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024, total fisheries and aquaculture production reached about 223 million tonnes in 2022, and aquaculture overtook capture fisheries as the main producer of aquatic animals for the first time, with aquaculture of aquatic animals reaching about 94 million tonnes. Asia produced the large majority of farmed aquatic animals, and India was among the leading producing countries. (2022 data, reported in FAO SOFIA 2024.)

These figures are historical and are presented for context only. They should not be read as current-year statistics.

What is driving change

• Pressure on land and freshwater is pushing producers towards systems that grow more per unit of water and space.
• Disease losses in open systems are encouraging greater biosecurity and control.
• Consumer and regulatory expectations around traceability, antibiotic use and environmental impact are rising.
• Sensors, data loggers and connectivity are becoming affordable enough for smaller farms.
• Energy costs and reliability are shaping where intensive systems make sense.

Recirculation and control

Recirculating Aquaculture Systems treat and reuse water so that a high density of fish can be kept with a small daily exchange. They offer control over temperature, oxygen and waste that open ponds cannot match. They also depend on continuous power, oxygenation, trained operators and a market that rewards consistent quality. RAS is a powerful tool, not a universal answer.

Ponds will remain central

Most of the world's farmed fish still comes from ponds, and that will remain true for the foreseeable future. The future of pond culture is one of better management: aeration, feed management, water-quality monitoring, improved seed and stronger biosecurity. Improved ponds and intensive systems should be seen as complementary pathways rather than rivals.

Digital monitoring and decision support

Continuous dissolved oxygen monitoring, automated feeders, alarms and simple dashboards are reducing losses and labour on farms of many sizes. Artificial intelligence is beginning to assist with feed decisions and image-based growth estimation, but its value depends on good sensors, reliable data and operators who understand the biology behind the numbers.

Sustainability as performance

The most durable farms treat water use, feed efficiency, waste management, energy and animal welfare as measures of performance rather than as external obligations. The sections of this portal on sustainability, animal health and the value chain develop this idea in detail.