Environmental performance of blue foods

Jessica A. Gephart (), Patrik J. G. Henriksson, Robert W. R. Parker, Alon Shepon, Kelvin D. Gorospe, Kristina Bergman, Gidon Eshel, Christopher D. Golden, Benjamin S. Halpern, Sara Hornborg, Malin Jonell, Marc Metian, Kathleen Mifflin, Richard Newton, Peter Tyedmers, Wenbo Zhang, Friederike Ziegler and Max Troell
Additional contact information
Jessica A. Gephart: American University
Patrik J. G. Henriksson: Stockholm Resilience Centre
Robert W. R. Parker: Dalhousie University
Alon Shepon: Tel Aviv University
Kelvin D. Gorospe: American University
Kristina Bergman: RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Gidon Eshel: Bard College
Christopher D. Golden: Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health
Benjamin S. Halpern: University of California
Sara Hornborg: RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Malin Jonell: Stockholm Resilience Centre
Marc Metian: Radioecology Laboratory
Kathleen Mifflin: Dalhousie University
Richard Newton: University of Stirling
Peter Tyedmers: Dalhousie University
Wenbo Zhang: Shanghai Ocean University
Friederike Ziegler: RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Max Troell: Stockholm Resilience Centre

Nature, 2021, vol. 597, issue 7876, 360-365

Abstract: Abstract Fish and other aquatic foods (blue foods) present an opportunity for more sustainable diets1,2. Yet comprehensive comparison has been limited due to sparse inclusion of blue foods in environmental impact studies3,4 relative to the vast diversity of production5. Here we provide standardized estimates of greenhouse gas, nitrogen, phosphorus, freshwater and land stressors for species groups covering nearly three quarters of global production. We find that across all blue foods, farmed bivalves and seaweeds generate the lowest stressors. Capture fisheries predominantly generate greenhouse gas emissions, with small pelagic fishes generating lower emissions than all fed aquaculture, but flatfish and crustaceans generating the highest. Among farmed finfish and crustaceans, silver and bighead carps have the lowest greenhouse gas, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, but highest water use, while farmed salmon and trout use the least land and water. Finally, we model intervention scenarios and find improving feed conversion ratios reduces stressors across all fed groups, increasing fish yield reduces land and water use by up to half, and optimizing gears reduces capture fishery emissions by more than half for some groups. Collectively, our analysis identifies high-performing blue foods, highlights opportunities to improve environmental performance, advances data-poor environmental assessments, and informs sustainable diets.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03889-2

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