With the world urban population expected to increase by 72 percent come 2050, the pressure to effectively utilize resources, especially in aquaculture, is quickly becoming more imperative than ever before.
By 2030, the National Intelligence Council expects that the approximately 8.3 billion people making up the global population at that time will require 50 percent more energy, 40 percent more water and 35 percent more food than the current population does now. And as future supply ramps up, so too does the need for efficient, savvy aquaculture systems worldwide.
“We’ll have to do a lot more with what we already have,” said Jon Hindar, CEO of Cermaq Group, during his keynote address at this year’s GOAL Conference.
FAO’s Arní Mathiesen was accurate in predicting that “the bulk of the future increase in supply has to come from aquaculture,” noted Hindar. “As far as I can see, aquaculture is really a prerequisite in order to meet the global needs,” he added.
This is where salmon farming stands to truly make waves. Despite being a young industry, salmon farming has seen tremendous growth with respect to both production and consumption in recent years, said Hindar. What’s more, “there is no slowdown really of the global demand for farmed salmon” – “it’s a good fit for consumer trends,” Hindar said, highlighting new products that have emerged in recent years that are easier to prepare and/or ready-to-eat.
Even though salmon farming accounts for only 6 percent of all fish farming activity, the example salmon farmers have set with regard to technological advancement is unmatched; thus, while the entire world may not be subsisting on farmed salmon anytime soon or ever, it isn’t unrealistic to entertain and pursue the possibility that the fish could someday stand in for beef, posited Hindar.
“The importance of salmon farming is not so much that we will feed the world with salmon – I think that is totally an illusion – but we can somehow substitute beef with salmon, which will give a good effect not only for health but also for the environment,” he said. “This industry has been able to develop very quickly in terms of technology, in terms of disease management, preventative fish health, feed/how to feed, etc. Most of these learnings have a very good possibility of being transferred from salmon farming into the farming of other species.”
As such, “the role of salmon farming extends further beyond just the product that we can produce, but it’s also how we can assist aquaculture growth in many areas of the world,” Hindar said.
Of course, for salmon farming to lead aquaculture successfully, it must be sustainable, regulated and transparent, argued Hindar. Organizations that have joined the Global Salmon Initiative (GSI) have demonstrated determination to fulfill these aims: “Being a member of GSI requires a strong commitment to sustainable farming practices, dedication of resources and time, and transparency in reporting,” explained Hindar. As of now, the initiative – which is comprised of 14 salmon aquaculture companies – is representative of nearly 50 percent of global farmed salmon supply.
GSI is currently accepting proposals under its global tender for alternative protein sources of oils high in Omega-3. As Hindar described, “the tender is open to any organization that is able to supply novel oil resources and meet the requirements stated in the tender document,” meaning producing at least 25,000 tons of novel oils annually for a minimum of two years. The initiative will accept proposals until 31 October 2015.
Considering the work being conducted by GSI and salmon farmers at large, it seems fair to conclude that “salmon farming responds well to several of the 17 U.N. goals for sustainable development,” said Hindar. Not only has the industry subset served to revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development with initiatives like GSI, but it also ensures healthy lives and promotes well-being for all at all ages.
“Seafood stands out as something that we all need to not only eat, but to eat more of,” concluded Hindar.
