Six countries in the Asia-Pacific region – Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam have drafted a working plan for ‘blue growth’ or an intensification of sustainable aquaculture according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The number of middle income earners in the Asia-Pacific region is forecast to increase six-fold by 2030, most notably in India, China and Indonesia. This increase in incomes will drive demand for high protein foods such as meat and fish. To meet this demand the FAO estimates that Asian aquaculture production will have to increase by more than 60% by 2030 to meet demand in Asia alone. Freshwater species such as catfish, carp and tilapia will see the fastest growth with tilapia production forecast to see massive growth, increasing from 4.3 million tons to 7.3 million tons by 2030.
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