From Growth to Sustainability: the future of capture fisheries of Southeast Asia

Abstract

Southeast Asia, encompassing 11 tropical nations, has witnessed remarkable growth in its capture fisheries sector. Over the past three decades, capture fisheries production in the region has shown consistent growth, outpacing global trends. The proportion of fishers relative to the total population is 3.4 times higher than the global average, while the consumption of aquatic foods per capita is nearly double the world average. Although concerns over overfishing have been raised for many years, Southeast Asia still maintains a ratio of underfished marine stocks 3.6 times greater than the global average. This would be largely due to the dominance of artisanal and small-scale fisheries, combined with non-selective fishing practices and the region’s rich biodiversity. Nevertheless, the per capita availability of aquatic foods has recently reached a plateau. With the regional population projected to peak around 2055 at 113 % of its current size, the anticipated stabilization in demand for aquatic products presents an opportunity to shift toward more sustainable fisheries practices.