The Blue Revolution refers to the significant growth and intensification of global

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

production—domestication and farming of

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

shellfish Shellfish, in colloquial and fisheries usage, are exoskeleton-bearing Aquatic animal, aquatic invertebrates used as Human food, food, including various species of Mollusca, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish ...

, and

aquatic plant Aquatic plants, also referred to as hydrophytes, are vascular plants and Non-vascular plant, non-vascular plants that have adapted to live in aquatic ecosystem, aquatic environments (marine ecosystem, saltwater or freshwater ecosystem, freshwater ...

s—from the middle of the 20th century to the present, particularly in

underdeveloped countries The least developed countries (LDCs) are developing countries listed by the United Nations that exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development. The concept of LDCs originated in the late 1960s and the first group of LDCs was listed b ...

. The peak and subsequent stagnation of

capture fishery A wild fishery is a natural environment, natural body of water with a sizeable free-ranging fish or other aquatic animal (crustaceans and molluscs) population that can be fishing, harvested for its commercial value. Wild fisheries can be marine ( ...

production in the late 1980s spurred

technological innovation Technological innovation is an extended concept of innovation. While innovation is a rather well-defined concept, it has a broad meaning to many people, and especially numerous understanding in the academic and business world. Innovation refers to ...

and improved efficiency for aquaculture production. Since then, aquaculture has grown exponentially and now represents the main source of global fish supply for direct human consumption and other purposes, and is a critical part of the global

food system The term food system describes the interconnected systems and processes that influence nutrition, food, health, community development, and agriculture. A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growi ...

. The Blue Revolution and expansion of aquaculture is expected to continue to grow, increasing by approximately 30% by 2030 from current levels.

What is the Blue Revolution?

The Blue Revolution is the increase in fish and aquatic food production through the sustainable use of water resources, including marine, brackish, and freshwater systems. It encompasses activities like aquaculture (fish farming), the development of fisheries, and the sustainable management of aquatic ecosystems to provide food security, employment, and economic growth. The Blue Revolution involves scientific advancements, policy initiatives, and practical strategies to harness water resources for producing fish and aquatic plants. It emphasizes balancing increased production with environmental conservation.

Characteristics of the Blue Revolution

Expansion of Aquaculture: Cultivation of fish, prawns, crabs, mollusks, and aquatic plants like seaweed in controlled environments. Marine and Inland Fisheries: Enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of harvesting fish from oceans, rivers, and lakes. Scientific Innovation: Use of advanced breeding techniques, water management, feed development, and disease control. Economic Growth: Creation of industries around fish farming, processing, storage, and export. Sustainability: Addressing issues like overfishing, habitat destruction, and pollution to protect aquatic ecosystems.

Emergence of the Blue Revolution

Prior to the 1980s, global fish supply from aquaculture did not represent a significant food source. However, depletion of

ocean fisheries A fishery is an area with an associated fish or aquatic population which is harvested for its commercial value. Fisheries can be wild or farmed. Most of the world's wild fisheries are in the ocean. This article is an overview of ocean fisheries. ...

and subsequent decline of capture fishery production caused aquaculture to grow rapidly. From the mid-1980s to 2000, global aquaculture production increased by more than 50%, and cemented itself as a significant source for global fish supply. Since 2000, aquaculture has been the fastest growing food production sector, growing 5.8% per year, supplying over 100 metric tonnes of fish, shellfish and

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

s from 425 species in 2017. Global aquaculture production by country 2010

The Blue Revolution was initially concentrated in

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

, and

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

in particular. Aquaculture in Asian countries continues to dominate, accounting for 89% of global aquaculture production, with China alone accounts for 58% of global production. However, it is also intensifying in other regions, with growth rates in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, and more recently

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, outpacing China. The Blue Revolution has driven and supported global increase in global fish consumption since the 1980s. Over the last several decades, global fish consumption has increased 3.1% per year, and is primarily supplied through aquaculture.

Freshwater aquaculture

The Blue Revolution over the last two decades has increasingly been shaped by growth in

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

aquaculture. Freshwater aquaculture, such as inland farming in rivers and lakes, is now the most significant contributor to aquaculture, and accounts for the majority supply of fish for direct human consumption.

South South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...

and

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

are the largest producers of freshwater aquaculture. Rather than for export, freshwater aquaculture is largely produced for domestic use and consumption. This has the potential to increase availability and accessibility of fish, but also presents challenges in terms of over-intensification,

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause harm. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the component ...

of water sources, and introduction of diseases.

Potential benefits of the Blue Revolution

Food and nutrient security

The Blue Revolution has improved accessibility and availability of farmed fish in some regions, therefore potentially improving

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

and nutrient security, especially in low-income nations and rural populations. Increased aquaculture production has enabled a reliable fish supply that is more stable than wild fish catches. Further, aquaculture's boom has driven down the price of most farmed species, making them more affordable for low-income households. Meanwhile, reduced wild fish stocks has increased the price of fish from other fishing industries and practices. In recent decades, aquaculture in underdeveloped countries has mostly gone towards domestic consumption, rather than

international trade International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...

. Reduced prices and year-long predictable supply has allowed food insecure regions with high aquaculture production to improve food conditions for some of their most vulnerable populations. Fish for direct human consumption are an excellent source for many important nutrients, such as omega 3-fatty acids,

iodine Iodine is a chemical element; it has symbol I and atomic number 53. The heaviest of the stable halogens, it exists at standard conditions as a semi-lustrous, non-metallic solid that melts to form a deep violet liquid at , and boils to a vi ...

vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of structurally related, fat-soluble compounds responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate, along with numerous other biological functions. In humans, the most important compo ...

iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

and

calcium Calcium is a chemical element; it has symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar to it ...

. Fish are also a significant source of

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...

for much of the global population, providing over 3 billion people with about 20% of their animal protein. In small-island states, and

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

, fish provides up to 50% of protein intake. Increased consumption of fish from the Blue Revolution can ameliorate conditions of nutrient deficiencies in low-income malnourished populations in underdeveloped regions. However, in some regions, such as Africa, fish consumption is expected to decrease in coming decades, potentially threatening food and nutrient security in existing vulnerable groups.

Livelihoods and poverty alleviation

The Blue Revolution and aquaculture activities play an important role in supporting

livelihood A person's livelihood (derived from ''life-lode'', "way of life"; cf. OG ''lib-leit'') refers to their "means of securing the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing) of life". Livelihood is defined as a set of activities essential ...

s and reducing

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

, especially for rural populations. In 2018, over 20 million people globally were employed and got their

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. F ...

from aquaculture related activities. Generally, aquaculture can provide a higher income to low-income, rural households than

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

. In underdeveloped countries, many people rely on income from seafood production to support their livelihoods in addition to other sources of income. This is especially true for small-scale aquaculture, which is most often practiced in rural areas. Aquaculture also as positive indirect effects of

poverty alleviation Poverty reduction, poverty relief, or poverty alleviation is a set of measures, both economic and humanitarian, that are intended to permanently lift people out of poverty. Measures, like those promoted by Henry George in his economics classi ...

through spill-over from surplus income and employment linkages to those in jobs associated with fish farming. The growth of freshwater aquaculture has helped provide income and reduce poverty, specifically in Asia and

sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lie south of the Sahara. These include Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa, and West Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the list of sovereign states and ...

. Fish farming also has positive effects on

income distribution In economics, income distribution covers how a country's total GDP is distributed amongst its population. Economic theory and economic policy have long seen income and its distribution as a central concern. Unequal distribution of income causes e ...

, attenuating the levels of inequality in rural coastal localities where salmon farms are established, compared to localities where salmon farms are not established. For example, in

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, aquaculture activities facilitate per capita income to grow 2.1% between 2000 and 2010, reducing national poverty levels.{{Cite journal, last1=Rashid, first1=Shahidur, last2=Minot, first2=Nicholas, last3=Lemma, first3=Solomon, date=2019, title=Does a "Blue Revolution" help the poor? Evidence from Bangladesh, journal=Agricultural Economics, language=en, volume=50, issue=2, pages=139–150, doi=10.1111/agec.12472, s2cid=134095602, issn=1574-0862, doi-access=free

India and the Blue Revolution

In India, the Blue Revolution refers to government-led efforts to increase fish production through modern aquaculture techniques and improved fisheries management. Key Developments: Fish Farmers Development Agencies (FFDAs): Established to support fish farmers with training and resources. Neel Kranti Mission: Aimed at doubling fish production in India sustainably. PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (2020): Focused on modernizing fisheries, creating infrastructure, and improving exports. Achievements: India is the second-largest fish producer in the world. Significant growth in shrimp farming and inland aquaculture.

References

Aquaculture Food security History of international development