A healthy “blue economy” is critical for Pacific Island communities, which rely on ocean resources for everything from food security to jobs and economic growth.
While aquaculture — the farming of fish and aquatic plants — is the fastest-growing food production sector globally, supplying nearly half of the seafood consumed worldwide, it remains underdeveloped in many Pacific Island countries due to socioeconomic barriers and the detrimental effects of climate change.
“Climate change is a big challenge because it affects not only the productivity but also the sustainability of the system,” Dr. Reynaldo V. Ebora, the executive director of the Department of Science and Technology at the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development, or DOST-PCAARRD, told Devex. “There are some ecosystems that used to be productive, but because of climate change, productivity has declined.”