Aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean: Progresses, opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Aquaculture in Latin America and the Caribbean continues its progress, reaching a production of 2.9 MM Tons in 2017, valued at U$17,400 MM, dollars of 2018. However, the pace of growth has slowed down over time. In that year the region accounts for 3.7% of the volume of world crops, but a more relevant 7% of its value, as it works mainly with high-valued species. This reality contrasts with fishing landings that have declined sharply since the 1990s, implying that currently aquaculture crops account for 21% of total regional landing. A number of large and small-scale production models, oriented to the domestic market or exports, with States more or less active in the development processes coexist in this area,  with varying levels of competitiveness, and with a widespread low consumption of fishery products per person, a level that is among the lowest in the world. The region has a great potential in aquaculture production, and currently turns its main R&D efforts towards productive diversification with native species. It is also clear that several problems of governance, of relations with local and national communities, of litigation with other users of the waters and coastal borders, on the focus of applied research and on environmental issues, etc. still remain to be solved,  conspiring with better crop performance, which should increase to about 4.9 to 5.5 MM Tons by 2030, a situation that involves a slowdown in recent production rates to annual  growth of between 4% and 5% through that year. In a region whose aquaculture is still highly concentrated in no more than five countries and the same number of species, which has ample spaces and reasonable infrastructure, future opportunities are very broad and  successes to be achieved will be closely linked with the implementation of measures that properly address the above-mentioned limitations, particularly those related to governance.