Vulnerability of blue foods to human-induced environmental change

Ling Cao (), Benjamin S. Halpern, Max Troell, Rebecca Short, Cong Zeng, Ziyu Jiang, Yue Liu, Chengxuan Zou, Chunyu Liu, Shurong Liu, Xiangwei Liu, William W. L. Cheung, Richard S. Cottrell, Fabrice DeClerck, Stefan Gelcich, Jessica A. Gephart, Dakoury Godo-Solo, Jessie Ihilani Kaull, Fiorenza Micheli, Rosamond L. Naylor, Hanna J. Payne, Elizabeth R. Selig, U. Rashid Sumaila and Michelle Tigchelaar
Additional contact information
Ling Cao: Xiamen University
Benjamin S. Halpern: University of California
Max Troell: Stockholm University
Rebecca Short: Stockholm University
Cong Zeng: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Ziyu Jiang: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Yue Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Chengxuan Zou: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Chunyu Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Shurong Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Xiangwei Liu: Shanghai Jiao Tong University
William W. L. Cheung: University of British Columbia
Richard S. Cottrell: University of Tasmania
Fabrice DeClerck: Stockholm University
Stefan Gelcich: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Jessica A. Gephart: American University
Dakoury Godo-Solo: American University
Jessie Ihilani Kaull: Stanford University
Fiorenza Micheli: Stanford University
Rosamond L. Naylor: Stanford University
Hanna J. Payne: Stanford University
Elizabeth R. Selig: Stanford University
U. Rashid Sumaila: University of British Columbia
Michelle Tigchelaar: Stanford University

Nature Sustainability, 2023, vol. 6, issue 10, 1186-1198

Abstract: Abstract Global aquatic or ‘blue’ foods, essential to over 3.2 billion people, face challenges of maintaining supply in a changing environment while adhering to safety and sustainability standards. Despite the growing concerns over their environmental impacts, limited attention has been paid to how blue food production is influenced by anthropogenic environmental changes. Here we assess the vulnerability of global blue food systems to predominant environmental disturbances and predict the spatial impacts. Over 90% of global blue food production faces substantial risks from environmental change, with the major producers in Asia and the United States facing the greatest threats. Capture fisheries generally demonstrate higher vulnerability than aquaculture in marine environments, while the opposite is true in freshwater environments. While threats to production quantity are widespread across marine and inland systems, food safety risks are concentrated within a few countries. Identifying and supporting mitigation and adaptation measures in response to environmental stressors is particularly important in developing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa where risks are high and national response capacities are low. These findings lay groundwork for future work to map environmental threats and opportunities, aiding strategic planning and policy development for resilient and sustainable blue food production under changing conditions.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-023-01156-y

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