East Asia is well-positioned to lead the global transition towards sustainable aquatic food systems, or ‘blue food’. Amid climate change and land pressures that challenge terrestrial agriculture, blue foods offer vital nutritional and ecological benefits. Unlocking their potential requires sustainable aquaculture practices, robust governance, targeted policy support and the integration of blue foods into national, regional and global frameworks.

East Asia — a region with dense coastal populations, profound cultural ties to aquatic food systems and facing acute vulnerability to environmental change — has the unique capacity to spearhead a global transition towards sustainable aquatic food systems, known as ‘blue food’.

As terrestrial food production systems increasingly confront the constraints of land degradation, freshwater scarcity and climate volatility, blue foods offer a largely untapped potential to diversify regional food supplies, enhance nutritional security and support climate adaptation. But realising this potential necessitates rigorous governance mechanisms, substantial investment in climate-resilient aquaculture and fisheries and the equitable distribution of aquatic resources to avoid exacerbating existing socio-economic disparities.

For East Asia, advancing a systematic and sustainable transformation of blue food systems is not merely an environmental or economic choice, but a critical intervention to fortify regional and global food system resilience.

The region’s blue economy — anchored in the sustainable utilisation of marine resources — supports millions.

Blue foods are integral to the livelihoods, diets and cultural traditions of East Asian coastal communities, particularly in China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The region’s blue economy — anchored in the sustainable utilisation of marine resources — supports millions. The region also accounts for the majority of global aquaculture production, with China, the largest producer of aquatic products globally, accounting for approximately 35.5 per cent of the world’s fish and seafood in 2022.

Yet the assumption that expanding blue food systems alone will enhance food security is flawed. Many wild capture fisheries in the East China Sea and Yellow Sea are overexploited, necessitating a transition from expansionist models to ecologically optimised production. The region also faces mounting challenges from coastal degradation, overfishing and aquaculture-driven pollution. In Japan, declining fish stocks and an ageing workforce threaten the viability of small-scale fisheries, necessitating a transition towards high-value, low-impact aquaculture.

To meet growing demand sustainably, East Asia must prioritise ecosystem-based aquaculture and production efficiency over scale alone. Bivalve and macroalgal aquaculture are low-impact, climate-resilient alternatives which are already prevalent in the region. Bivalves contribute to nutrient cycling and water purification, while seaweeds sequester carbon and reduce pressure on terrestrial crops. These systems offer co-benefits for biodiversity and climate mitigation, but face constraints related to infrastructure, consumer markets and regulatory coherence.

Bivalve and macroalgal aquaculture are low-impact, climate-resilient alternatives which are already prevalent in the region.

The imperative extends beyond expanding production to the establishment of governance frameworks that prioritise sustainable aquaculture models, tailored to the unique ecological and socio-economic contexts of East Asia. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) provides a promising approach to optimising resource efficiency and mitigating environmental degradation.

IMTA has gained significant traction in China, particularly in coastal regions such as Sanggou Bay, which comprises approximately 40 per cent of the country’s mariculture production. By cultivating species like Japanese sea bass, Pacific oysters and Gracilaria seaweed in tandem, Chinese IMTA systems create closed nutrient cycles, reducing the environmental impacts associated with nutrient runoff and eutrophication. Similarly, Japan’s historical polyculture systems which predate contemporary IMTA have evolved into sophisticated models addressing challenges including high sedimentation, nutrient loading and harmful algal blooms.

South Korea has made notable strides in promoting low-carbon aquaculture, particularly through large-scale seaweed and shellfish cultivation which sequester carbon and support marine ecosystem health. Taiwan’s initiatives, notably the Coastal Blue Economy Growth program and the Community-Based Sea Farming project launched in 2015, demonstrate a strategic shift towards sustainable ocean industries. By promoting integrated aquaculture systems, these programs aim to mitigate nutrient runoff, enhance ecological resilience and advance the transition from capture fisheries to sustainable mariculture.

Despite progress in some countries, governance of blue food systems remains fragmented, with limited coherence between national aquaculture policies, regional fisheries management and global sustainability frameworks. While Japan and South Korea have developed robust regulatory systems, enforcement disparities persist across China, Taiwan and other parts of the region, undermining the ecological and economic sustainability of aquatic food production.

Targeted policy support, market incentives and the integration of blue food systems into broader climate and food strategies are essential to unlock the full potential of these programs and advance food system sustainability in East Asia. A strategic pivot towards optimised blue food production can enhance food security, support Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reinforce East Asia’s leadership in sustainable marine resource management.

Cooperation in the management of transboundary fisheries in ecologically sensitive areas like the South China Sea and East China Sea is vital to advancing SDG 14 ‘Life below Water’ targets.

To align blue food governance closer to the SDGs, East Asian countries must adopt integrated strategies that incentivise sustainable aquaculture through targeted fiscal measures like tax benefits and subsidies, while fostering public–private partnerships to drive innovation. Expanding eco-certification schemes such as the Marine Stewardship Council and Aquaculture Stewardship Council to include a larger share of regional production is essential to realise SDG 12 and ‘ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’. Cooperation in the management of transboundary fisheries in ecologically sensitive areas like the South China Sea and East China Sea is vital to advancing SDG 14 ‘Life below Water’ targets.

Embedding blue food strategies within Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement will enable East Asian nations to better leverage climate finance, enhance international research collaboration and reinforce policy support for sustainable aquatic food systems. Establishing a regionally cohesive governance architecture, grounded in SDG principles, is indispensable to ensure that East Asia’s blue food sector contributes meaningfully to global food security, climate mitigation and marine biodiversity conservation.

Source - https://www.orfonline.org