Food safety impacts of finfish and crustacean aquaculture on food security in Asia

Asia is the world's largest aquaculture producer. The aquaculture industry faces a multitude of threats ranging from microbiological and chemical to parasitic. These threats could potentially affect aquatic animal health and food safety and alter the consumer's perception of aquacultural produce. The development of antimicrobial resistance is also of increasing concern. These actual or perceived food safety threats could result in reductions in the food supply that adversely affect the food security of a country or region. Harmonised regional regulatory requirements, increased consumer awareness and the adoption of good aquaculture practices are ways in which the aquaculture industry can mitigate these risks. Together with the increased use of smart technology in production and encouragement to adopt certification and accreditation schemes, these tools can help the aquaculture industry in Asia to become more resilient in the face of such challenges. In this paper, the authors present an insight into the hazards faced by the aquaculture industry, which could potentially adversely affect food supply and hence food security, in an Asian context. The authors make several recommendations to mitigate these risks and thus safeguard against disruptions to regional food security.