The report highlighted that highly vulnerable blue food production systems exist on every continent, including some of the world’s largest producers such as Norway, China and the United States.
He noted that there is often a lack of understanding of the complexity of the stressors that cause environmental change.
The paper cited species invasion, internal feedings or algal blooms, ocean warming, and sea level rise as the main threats to U.S. blue food production, with both marine and freshwater fish facing disproportionately high risks.
The authors also argued that special attention should be given to countries that face high vulnerability to environmental change but lack sufficient adaptive capacity, including Bangladesh, Eswatini, Guatemala, Honduras, and Uganda.
In terms of production systems, the study showed that marine fisheries were generally more vulnerable to climate-related stresses, particularly rising temperatures and acidification, while aquaculture was more vulnerable to the effects of disease and hypoxia, or low oxygen levels.
Experts highlighted that although some progress has been made, adaptation strategies for blue food systems facing environmental change still lag behind and need urgent attention.
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