Report Projects 45% of Wild-Caught Fish Could Feed Aquaculture by 2040

A new report released on September 4 by the UK‑based NGO Changing Markets Foundation projects that nearly half of the world’s wild‑caught fish could be redirected to feed farmed fish and shrimp by 2040, if the aquaculture sector expands in line with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s roadmap. The study, co‑authored with researchers from the University of British Columbia, was issued just before the 37th meeting of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) in Rome, where policymakers set global directions for fisheries and aquaculture. Aquaculture, now the fastest‑growing food industry, has supplied half of global seafood since 2022, yet artisanal fishing groups attending COFI warned that the sector can be destructive, depending on the species farmed. The report’s findings have reignited debate over how best to balance wild fish harvests with the growing demand for farmed seafood.