Roles and contributions of fisheries science in Asia in the 21st century

Abstract

Asia is the largest continent in the world. Asians comprise 60% of the world's current population of 6.1 billion. Since ancient times, most Asians have relied on fish and other aquatic foods as a major source of animal protein. At the end of the 1990s, a full two-thirds of the world annual food fish production, 93 million metric tons, were consumed in Asia. The vast aquatic resources in the region coupled with aquaculture history which spans for millennia have predisposed the Asians to be predominantly seafood consumers. In 1999, aquaculture and capture fisheries production in the region constituted 91% and 49% by weight, respectively, of the total world production. The top ten aquaculture producers and five of the top ten capture fisheries producers were from Asia. The substantial increase in aquaculture production may principally be attributed to the significant advances in fisheries science over the past century. The biology of many aquatic organisms has been understood more extensively and, accordingly, led to the development of modern aquaculture technologies. On the other hand, the nature of capture fisheries resources has also become better comprehended. For instance, the idea that the seas and oceans are inexhaustible has been shown untenable. At the present, however, Asian fisheries are at considerable danger mainly due to environmental degradation and overexploitation. The recognition of the fragility of both aquaculture and capture fisheries resources, and the efforts to ensure their sustainability, may perhaps be the best outcomes so far from the advances made in the field of fisheries science not only in Asia but throughout the world. Under this current scenario, making use of the advances in fisheries science is even more crucial. Most recent advances in fisheries sciences are broad in scope and multi-disciplinary in nature, taking advantage of the rapid developments in physical sciences, molecular biology and information technology. Furthermore, socio-cultural and economic concerns are being given due attention. There is, therefore, sufficient knowledge that can be applied to ensure that Asia continues to utilize its capture fisheries and aquaculture resources. To achieve these objectives, a brief layout of the comprehensive set of strategies is presented to include continuous innovations in aquaculture technology, implementation of relevant management techniques and regulations, and strengthening of regional and international cooperation. It is critical at this time to implement these strategies based on the current knowledge or it will be too late. From the trends in capture fisheries and aquaculture in the past century, it has become apparent that the fundamental roles and contributions of fisheries science are vital for the well-being of future generations in the 21st century and further.