With the world’s population set to increase to almost 10 billion by 2050, providing future generations with safe and sustainable farmed seafood is the main aim of the Collaborative Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture Futures launched on 26 October 2017.
The Centre, which is part of a new collaboration between the Centre for Environment, Aquaculture and Fisheries Science (Cefas) and the University of Exeter, has been designed to bring together world-leading scientists to ensure the key challenges facing sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry are better understood, both at home and internationally. The centre will focus on aquatic animal health, food safety and protection of the aquatic environment – in support of international food security and sustainable “blue” growth.
Key issues to be addressed by the centre include:
- Providing scientific support to reduce the $6bn annual losses due to disease in aquaculture
- Providing evidence and tools to ensure that fish, shellfish, crustaceans and seaweeds produced in the global industry are safe to eat
- Understanding how cutting edge molecular diagnostics, pathology, animal breeding and nutrition can be applied to assist seafood farmers, particularly in more vulnerable societies
- Ensuring that aquaculture is developed sustainably, for the benefit of communities, economies and the environment