The Bangkok Post-July 19
Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations would do well to emulate the Norwegian model, writes Jon Erik Steenslid
The United Nations projects the global population will reach almost 10 billion by 2050. This would require a 70% increase in food production simply to ensure the world does not go hungry. But how will we meet this incredible demand in a safe, efficient and sustainable way?
The answer lies in our oceans. A recent study, published last month in the academic journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America), found that if people swapped even a small proportion of their meat consumption for seafood, we would be able to significantly reduce land use and ensure more sustainable production of protein-based food.
Fish and other aquatic animals are extremely efficient at converting feed to biomass for human consumption. While a cow requires anywhere from seven to more than 30 pounds (3.2 to 13.6kg) to gain one pound (450 grams) of biomass, most farmed fish need just one or two pounds of feed to do the same. This efficiency translates into significantly less cropland required to grow feed for the fish that people eat, and reduces pressure on natural ecosystems.
However, despite covering over two-thirds of the earth’s surface, and aquaculture being the fastest-growing food production system in the world, oceans currently yield less than 5% of the world’s food supply. To meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), this needs to increase significantly.
Knowledge and best practice sharing will help spread the word — and much of that guidance can come from countries such as Norway. Unique for being an ocean-based economy, Norway has had fish and seafood at the centre of its livelihood for centuries. Today, Norway is the second-biggest exporter of seafood in the world, representing some of the best quality seafood on the market.
But Norway is more than just another highvolume exporter — it is also a pioneer in modern aquaculture and has developed a highly successful industry over the past 50 years. Farmed fish makes up approximately two-thirds of the total export value of Norwegian seafood, valued at US$8 billion in 2017 alone. It is the world’s biggest producer of farmed salmon.
Built on the vital principles of sustainability, animal welfare and food safety, and based on what is considered by many as the world’s strictest management system for seafood, it serves as an example to other countries with fledgling fish farming industries, Asia and Thailand included. Norwegian know-how and entrepreneurship can help markets such as Thailand learn and contribute positively to the ocean ecosystem and future food security.
The potential to do so is real. Recently, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that Asia could be a food hub based on the quantity and potential of its marine aquaculture, but that it must increase its supply of fish in order to meet future demand. Thankfully, the Southeast Asian market has already shown that it can be suitable for large-scale fish farming.
Produce from the freshwater aquaculture industry in Thailand is mainly for local consumption, rather than export. However, small-scale freshwater aquaculture is already crucial in providing the rural poor with high-quality protein for home consumption.
The FAO notes that one of the major challenges faced by the aquaculture industry in Thailand is the poor economic return from investment, rather than the lack of production technology. Advanced aquaculture techniques, including intensive pond and cage farming, are available, particularly for freshwater aquaculture, but the profit margin is small and not yet attractive for expanded investment. Clearly, there is room to grow. The benefits speak for themselves, but the next step is making the economics work.
While Thailand has room to grow, major exporters like Norway are helping to fill the breach. With the average global citizen now consuming over 20 kilograms of seafood each year — and Thailand being no different — it is noteworthy that half of all seafood enjoyed globally is already sourced from fish farming.
We continue to head in the right direction. Aquaculture is expected to increase by 39% in the next decade. Not only is this growth rate fast, but the amount of biomass that aquaculture produces has already surpassed wild seafood catches and beef production.
Importantly, though, this growth cannot come at the expense of our environment and oceans and this, again, is where Norway’s approach must be used as a guide. Even with a conservation-focused outlook, the country managed to export 2.6 million tonnes of seafood last year — the equivalent of 36 million meals each day. Aquaculture contributed directly to 72% of this volume.
Norway has also taken a leading role in driving progress towards the SDG by launching an international high-level panel on building a sustainable ocean economy, chaired by the prime minister of Norway herself.
The panel is working on a report about the importance of the ocean economy for sustainable development. It will also work closely with the UN and engage with other international initiatives.
Norway’s stringent approach to resource management ensures a dovetailing of economic and societal needs with the preservation of our precious natural resources — a true commitment to food sustainability through environmental concern. This continued focus on developing the most sustainable and technologically advanced methods for aquaculture will give the world the best chance of meeting its growing need for food, without harming the environment around us.
