Aquatic ecosystems support global biodiversity and critical climate processes.
They sequestrate carbon, produce oxygen, secure breeding grounds for many aquatic species. Healthy aquatic ecosystems stabilize our shorelines and protect coastal communities from extreme weather events. Sustainable food production from aquatic ecosystems emits lower greenhouse gases than land-based animal production systems with less environmental impact. But pollution, overfishing, habitat degradation, climate change, are threatening these ecosystems and their ability to provide nutritious food, foods and livelihoods for millions of people.
We need to take action to:
- make climate action part of fisheries and aquaculture managment
- Foster adaptation and resilience of vulnerable coastal communities
- Decarbonize aquatic foods value chains and achieve sustainability in the long term.
FAO supports communities and policymakers in attaining this goal. Let’s work together for the future we want. Let’s work together for a Blue Transformation.
Source:FAO