Description

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Picture Courtesy: PIB

Context

The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying attended the ‘Second Global Summit on Blue Food Security: Sea the Future’ in Eilat, Israel.

What is Global Summit On Blue Food Security?

It is an international conference focused on advancing the sustainable production of "blue foods"—nutritious aquatic foods derived from marine and freshwater environments.

The Second Global Summit on Blue Food Security is currently taking place from January 13 to 15, 2026, in the coastal city of Eilat, Israel.

1st International Summit on Food from the Sea & the Desert (the precursor to the current Global Summit on Blue Food Security series) was held in Eilat, Israel.

Key Objectives & Themes

The summit brings together policymakers, researchers, and industry leaders to address food security in the face of climate change. Key themes include:

Blue Food Security: Enhancing aquatic food production in extreme and arid climates.
Deep Blue Tech: Leveraging breakthrough technologies such as AI, big data, and genomics to transform aquaculture.
Sustainable Food Systems: Reducing environmental impact and preserving biodiversity while scaling production.

What are Blue Foods?

Blue Food refers to all aquatic animals, plants, and microorganisms harvested or cultivated from both freshwater and marine environments.

They are integral to global well-being, supporting human health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. They offer a diverse range of benefits:

Nutritional Security: Aquatic foods are a primary source of high-quality protein and essential micronutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, vitamin D, and calcium, which are often deficient in land-based diets. Globally, they provide about 17% of the total animal protein consumed (Source: FAO).
Economic Engine: The fisheries and aquaculture sector alone supported approximately 61.8 million livelihoods in 2022 (Source: FAO).

State of Global Fisheries & Aquaculture

Record Production: Total global production reached a record 223.2 million tonnes in 2022 and continues to rise, with aquaculture providing over 59% of the total. (Source: FAO)

Aquaculture Dominance: In 2023, global aquaculture production reached a new high of 130.9 million tonnes. (Source: FAO).

Top Producers: China remains the world’s largest producer, followed by India and Indonesia.

Consumption Growth: Global per capita consumption of aquatic foods reached approximately 20.7 kg in 2022, nearly doubling since the 1960s. About 89% of total production is used for direct human consumption. (Source: FAO)

Source: PIB

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Evaluate the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity and suggest measures to ensure the security of aquatic food systems. (150 words)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Blue foods refer to all edible organisms harvested from aquatic environments, including fish, shellfish, and algae from oceans, rivers, and lakes. They are a critical source of nutrition and livelihoods globally.

PMMSY aims to bring about a 'Blue Revolution' through sustainable and responsible development of the fisheries sector in India. Its key objectives include doubling the income of fishers, reducing post-harvest losses to 10%, and generating new employment.

Sagar Parikrama is a government outreach initiative involving a sea journey along India's coastline. Its purpose is to directly interact with fishing communities, understand their challenges, and create awareness about government schemes like PMMSY and Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for fishers.