Success Stories In Asian Aquaculture - Library - Network of ...

1 Aquaculture Successes in Asia: Contributing to Sustained Development5AA – arachidonic acid, 22(4n-6)], though the amounts of the specific fatty acidspresent in fish differ markedly between species, and in general, between those ofmarine and freshwater origin. Fish also provides essential micronutrients in theform of vitamins, mineral (e.g., best sources of iodine and selenium), and someco-enzymes (CoQ 10), among others. Increasing quantum of evidence is becomingavailable on the health benefits of fish consumption, with clear evidence beingbrought forward with regard to its impacts on common diseases such as cardiovascular related ones (de Deckere et al. 1998 ; Horrocks and Yeo 1999 ; Connor2000 ; Ruxton et al. 2005 , among others).It is in this respect that there is an increase in fish consumption in the developedworld, whereas in the developing world, in all probability, the driving forces withregard to increased consumption are its affordability and availability. There is clearevidence that both in the developing and developed world, fish consumption is onthe increase and more so in the former (Delgado et al. 2003) .1.4 Traditional Fish Food SuppliesTraditionally, the great bulk of the food fish supplies (conservatively estimated at about85–90%) were of marine origin, and it still is, but its share is declining. Historical developmentsof the industrial fisheries, which essentially were a post-World War 2 development,have been aptly documented in the past (FAO 2007) . Importantly, now for overfour decades, about 25% of the industrial fish landings are reduced into fish meal andfish oil, currently approximating 25 million tons per year, and form the basis for theanimal feed industry, including some cultured aquatic species/species groups, such asshrimp and carnivorous marine finfish in the main (Fig. 1.2 ).Until the late 1960s, it was thought the seas were bountiful and harbored unlimitedamount of fish resources. This notion is now known to be proven erroneous. Theintensification of fishing has resulted in the depletion of stocks, perhaps somebeyond recovery, and the number of potential stocks that could be added to the fishbasket is known to be meager. It is almost universally accepted that the averagemaximum fish production that could be obtained from the oceans is around100 × 10 6 tons per year.1.5 Fish Food NeedsAlthough the production from the marine capture fisheries has plateaued, thedemand for fish has grown over the years, resulting from an increased global population,exacerbated by increased consumption in some nations/regions. The estimatesof food fish needs for the future, even at the current rate of consumption, arehigh. Table 1.2 summarizes the fish food needs upto 2020 based on the average ofdifferent estimations that are available. In summary, the world will need an extra40–60 × 10 6 tons of food fish by 2020.