Introduction

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing food sectors in the world and has earned a reputation for making a significant contribution to poverty reduction, food security and income generation. The decision to establish the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture under the responsibility of the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) clearly shows the importance of aquaculture development in the eyes of FAO member governments. However, some forms of production practices have legitimately been identified as being unacceptable and the cause of negative impacts on the environment and the socio-economic fabric. This disparity shows the need to further discuss sustainability issues by sector, while not losing sight of the need to ensure that the aquaculture sector provides a fair and equitable contribution to humanity. The purpose of this section is to discuss the main issues related to the sustainability of aquaculture, to discuss the opportunities and challenges for improving the contribution of aquaculture to poverty reduction, to improving food security, to supporting rural livelihoods, and to increasing national income.