Commercial aquaculture in Southeast Asia: Some policy lessons

Globally aquaculture has been increasing rapidly and already accounts for nearly half of all food fish consumed. For developing countries, which produce 90% of the world’s output, aquaculture is a source of protein, employment, income and of foreign exchange. Southeast Asia is an area which has experienced this “blue revolution”. Total aquaculture output in the region increased from less than two million tonnes in 1990 to more than eight million tonnes in 2006. Moreover, the region’s pace of expansion has accelerated. Annual average growth rates in output from 2000 to 2006 were more than double those from 1990 to 2000. Already more than a quarter of food fish in Southeast Asia comes from aquaculture.