FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Circulars While many countries in the Asia-Pacific region have made commendable efforts to set up policies, as well as administrative, legal and regulatory frameworks to properly develop and manage aquaculture, some countries are still lagging behind. And in some of the countries that have made conducive policies, implementation is delayed by a lack of financial and skilled human resources. This issue must be addressed as a priority if the Asia-Pacific aquaculture sector is to continue to develop sustainably.

This report explores sustainable aquaculture in the Pacific Islands region, offering potential strategies for growth in 13 countries facing threats to food security and livelihoods. Sustainable aquaculture is a promising solution for the Pacific Islands region to overcome the challenges posed by climate change, overfishing, unsustainable fishing methods, and pollution. This report identifies the key challenges and opportunities for sustainable aquaculture in the region and presents potential strategies for sustainable growth in three representative geographies. The report highlights the importance of additional investment and technical support to achieve sustainable growth in aquaculture in the region.In addition to addressing the primary focus of the report, the second paragraph provides complementary information, such as the specific challenges facing the region and the importance of sustainable aquaculture. The report will inform future efforts by the FAO and regional partners to support sustainable aquaculture in the Pacific Islands region. By providing potential strategies for sustainable growth, this report will be a valuable resource for policymakers, investors, and other stakeholders working to improve food security and livelihoods in the region.

The Asia-Pacific region is remarkably diverse and wide ranging, geographically, in its flora and fauna, culturally, institutionally and economically. The region includes the two most populous countries in the world, China and India, a greater part of the Asian continent, the Australian continent, and many small islands, mostly in the Pacific Ocean, which are some of the smallest island nations in the world. Fisheries and aquaculture are socio-economically important sectors to most nations in the Asia-Pacific region and most nations in the region have high rates of fish consumption, mostly sourced from aquaculture although the small island nations depend to a greater extent on capture fisheries. This review entails analyses of the aquaculture sector in Asia-Pacific including the status and trends, progress made in achieving sustainable development, salient challenges, issues and anticipated future development. Status and trends are based on data extracted from the FAO Fishery and Aquaculture Statistics (FAO, 2020a; FAO, 2020b), unless stated otherwise, and are mostly for the period from 2008 to 2018 and occasionally for the period from 1990 to 2018 for relevant historical comparison and longer-term contextual analyses.