Figure 2 Vision of a More sustainable 2030 including key pathways for
change and their characteristics (see Table S3 and Figure S1 for more
details)
Pathway 1 - Improve seafood availability, access and
utilisation
Seafood production and consumption in 2030 has increased as a result of
adaptive and flexible fisheries management, increased mariculture
production and the global shift towards healthy and sustainable diets.
In contrast to the Food for some scenario (Business-as-usual 2030), the
increased consumption of seafood, and contribution to addressing
nutritional needs, is measurable at both national and local levels
(Taylor et al. 2019), particularly in those areas most dependent on
seafood resources. The importance of maintaining wild capture fisheries
as a food resource has been widely recognised (Allison 2011). A broad
range of seafood produced through wild capture and mariculture is widely
available and affordable as a result of improvements and innovations in
production and management as well as prioritisation of access and
utilisation along supply chains (Butcher et al. 2020; FAO 2020b;
Swanepoel et al. 2020; Swedbio and ACIAR 2020; Thilsted et al. 2016)
(Box 1). These improvements have been driven by a shift in policy focus
toward nutrition security as well as in response to major supply
disruptions, such as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic (FAO 2020a; Farrell et
al. 2020). Productivity has increased where this was intended, however,
in other systems there has been a focus on support for local activities
which enhance direct and fair distribution based on the existing level
of production, rather than focusing on producing more fish. In these
systems, social and cultural values of local food have been prioritised
over production efficiencies through private and public sector efforts
(Johnson et al. 2018).
Supply chain technology and innovation has also reduced and redirected
waste and improved seafood quality. Innovative processing methods
resulting in new secondary products have seen fish products reach
destinations where they previously could not (Gokoglu 2019). Companies
and governments have worked together to ensure fish remains affordable
(Belton et al. 2020) and there is increased data availability to ensure
that processed seafood products are nutritious and free from
contaminants (Moxness Reksten et al. 2020). Seafood is a ubiquitous
ingredient in malnutrition programs and school feeding programs and
fishery and food policies are now well integrated. Food from the sea
continues to contribute to poverty eradication and provide meaningful
work for millions of small-scale fishers and farmers (FAO 2015).