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Fact box 7. Healthy aquatic ecosystems con-
tribute to food security and livelihoods
Fisheries and aquaculture contribute significantly to food secu-
rity and livelihoods, but depend on healthy aquatic ecosystems.
These contributions are often unrecognized and undervalued.
Over 500 million people in developing countries depend, di-
rectly or indirectly, on fisheries and aquaculture for their liveli-
hoods. Fish (including shellfish) provides essential nutrition for
3 billion people and at least 50%of animal protein and essential
minerals to 400 million people in the poorest countries.
Aquaculture is the world’s fastest growing food production
system, growing at 7% annually – but the production of ex-
ternally fed aquaculture (48% of total aquaculture produc-
tion) is largely dependent upon marine fisheries for feed.
Fish products are among the most widely traded foods, with
more than 37% by volume of world production traded inter-
nationally.
Natural barriers such as sand dunes, mangrove forests and
coral reefs dampen the impacts of a range of coastal haz-
ards, including storm/cyclone surges and tsunami waves,
helping to protect coastlines from their full impact.
Source: PaCFA, 2009
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are seeing shifts in species distributions in the North Sea with
nearly two thirds of the commercially important species shift-
ing northward in mean latitude or deeper in depth or both since
1970 (Perry
et al.
, 2005; Dulvey
et al.
, 2008). Recent projections
of changes in the distribution ranges of more than 1,000 com-
mercially important fish species, based on climate change sce-
narios to 2050 predict numerous species extinctions in sub-polar
regions, the tropics and semi-enclosed seas (Cheung
et al.
, 2009).
Climate change will also impact the levels of invasive marine or-
ganisms, which often damage commercial fish stocks. Studies
predict species invasion will be profound in the Arctic and South-
ern Oceans (Cheung
et al.
, 2009). Indeed, together these changes
could result in a significant turnover of species of more than 60%
of present biodiversity. This has the potential to disrupt a range of
marine ecosystem services including food provisioning.
Climate change will impact across all the four dimensions
(availability, stability, access and utilization) of food security.
Availability of aquatic products will vary through changes in eco-
systems, production, species distribution and habitats. Changes
will occur at regional and local levels in freshwater and marine
systems due to ecosystem shifts and changing aquaculture op-
tions, which depend on availability of key inputs. Production
