The Contributions of Shellfish Aquaculture to Global Food Security: Assessing Its Characteristics From a Future Food Perspective

Abstract

The United Nation’s 2030 development agenda adopted in 2015 outlines 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the organization has continued to put food security in the center of its vocalization. Aquaculture is currently the fastest-growing food production sector globally and a sustainable option for attaining food security. Food as a basic necessity for man’s survival is always a timely issue. Hence, owing to aquaculture’s unique role, it is expected that the demand for aquatic products (especially seafood) will continue to increase due to geometric population growth. Many seafood products are among the critical protein sources in the world. This is partly because they have micronutrients and essential fatty acids that are not present in land-based protein sources. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, shellfish is one of the main cultured aquaculture groups in the world. Hence, the development of shellfish aquaculture has an important role in sustainable food supply and food security. In this article, an overview of the current and projected contributions of shellfish aquaculture to global food security is presented. Apparently, shellfish aquaculture in the next few decades will have to be intensified to bridge the gap between demand and supply in a cost-effective manner. Also, food waste would have to be reduced and natural resources should be used more efficiently to minimize the negative impacts on aquaculture on the environment.

Emerging Diseases and Epizootics in Crabs Under Cultivation

“…Capture fisheries of brachyurans contribute substantially to food production globally as these have high protein, low saturated fat and micronutrients not abundant in diets based on the consumption of terrestrial animals (Azra et al, 2021;Golden et al, 2021). The gazami crab, Portunus trituberculatus is the most widely fished crab worldwide with landings in the Indo-Pacific region of over 500,000 t in 2015 (Stevens and Miller, 2020).…”

What evidence exists for the impact of climate change on the physiology and behaviour of important aquaculture marine crustacean species in Asia? A systematic map protocol

“…Indeed, there are an estimated 150,000 species worldwide, with only 42,000 species described thus far [19]. Crustaceans play an important role as predators, prey, or debris feeders in complex food chains and are often referred to as (i) global invasive potentials, (ii) good indicators of polluted or stressed conditions, and (iii) frequently have high production, consumption, and commercial significance [20][21][22]. Because of their broad distribution around coastal, estuarine, and intertidal habitats, crustaceans are strongly affected by climate-induced environmental changes, such as temperature rise, sea level rise, heatwaves, sea surface temperature, etc.…”

Comparison of Chitosan From Crab Shell Waste and Shrimp Shell Waste as Natural Adsorbent Against Heavy Metals and Dyes

“…Crustaceans are a subphylum that includes shrimp and crabs, which are harvested to be used in various different ways. In the crab and shrimp industry, usual processing only takes the crab and shrimp meat and throws away the excess, including the shells [1]. This waste is disposed of, which does not fully take advantage of this material and in some cases adds to pollution.…”