The world’s population is expected to grow by over a third, or 2.3 billion people, between 2009 and 2050. This will not only give rise to an increased demand for food, as a result of more mouths to feed, but will also create other challenges. Increased incomes, economic development of emerging nations and urbanisation will result in changes in consumption patterns and a slow revolution of our food value chain.
Responding to a rise in demand for proteins
It is now recognised that farming of aquatic species (i.e. aquaculture) will provide an increasingly significant response to the global animal-derived protein demand.
Seafood consumption is increasing in many parts of the world, and by 2030 it is predicted that aquaculture will be the prime source of fish due firstly to demands from consumers, and secondly due to depletion of wild capture fisheries.
Although aquaculture has already become the fastest growing food-producing sector, productivity is already highly stressed by excessive fishing pressure, growing organic pollution, toxic contamination, and climate change.
Most commonly, farming occurs in net pens or cages anchored to the ocean floor near the coast. However, closed systems of tanks or ponds, either on land or floating in water, are also used.
Although aquaculture has the potential to relieve pressure on ocean fisheries, it can also threaten marine ecosystems and wild fish populations through the introduction of exotic species and pathogens, effluent discharge, the use of wild fish to feed farmed fish, and habitat destruction. If the aquaculture industry does not shift to a more sustainable path soon, the environmental pressures faced by intensive crop and livestock production on land will be faced by aquaculture.
Despite lockdowns in many countries due to COVID-19, AQUA-Cal+ continues to gain ground in shrimp culture.
In Malaysia, customers usage has not dropped since the start of the pandemic, with customers like QQ and Manjong continuing to order and increase application to a larger number of ponds. We are anticipating small increases in the coming months as restaurants open again. Although China was severely affected by COVID-19, we are starting to observe a slow recovery with sales starting again as the industry recovers from a downturn over the first quarter. In Vietnam, our trials in shrimp nursery culture are looking promising while new trials on white leg shrimp have also started in Taiwan.
Feeding a growing human population
The world’s population is expected to grow by over a third, or 2.3 billion people, between 2009 and 2050. This will not only give rise to an increased demand for food, as a result of more mouths to feed, but will also create other challenges. Increased incomes, economic development of emerging nations and urbanisation will result in changes in consumption patterns and a slow revolution of our food value chain.
Find out how Calix’s AQUA-Cal+ is helping feed a growing human population, while responding to changes in consumption patterns and a slow revolution of our food value chain.
Find out moreOUR SOLUTION
AQUA-Cal+ is non-toxic, non-corrosive, safe, environmentally friendly and meets many core needs in aquaculture.
AQUA-Cal+ is made by flash calcining a mixture of magnesite and dolomite to produce a unique, very high surface area powder, and then hydrating the powder to produce a slurry for ease of application to ponds. It has been specially formulated to impact on both the aqueous and benthic ecosystems in the pond.
Find out more about AQUA-Cal+Environmental risks of marine aqualculture
- Incubation of local diseases caused by a high concentration of fish
- New diseases and parasites introduced by seed stock
- Genetically modified organisms
- Escape of non-native species
- Fish sewage – contains uneaten food, waste products, disease and pathogens
