(Bloomberg) – Asia is the world leader in aquaculture production, but intensive farming has brought a series of environmental challenges that could ultimately pose a risk to human health.

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With soaring demand and much of the world’s fish stocks shrinking, nearly half of all seafood now comes from aquaculture, with Asia at the center of it. The region accounts for 52% of global fish consumption and dominates production with an 88% share, according to a report by the Asian Development Bank.

While aquaculture’s contribution to economic growth and consumer nutrition is evident, these benefits have come along with environmental and social issues. The damage includes declining agricultural yields due to salinization of land, frequent outbreaks of shrimp disease, and the overuse of banned antibiotics to prevent and treat it, which threatens the health of consumers.

Global consumption of fish is growing faster than that of beef, chicken or pork, driven by a growing and increasingly prosperous global population that recognizes the health benefits of eating seafood. Cargill Inc. and JBS SA have made inroads into the aquaculture market which is expected to reach more than $ 245 billion by 2027, up from $ 180 billion today.

Another problem with aquaculture is that the diet of shrimp and farmed fish is highly dependent on wild-caught fish, which further depletes marine resources. The fish processing industry is also often criticized for its treatment of workers, with child labor and substandard conditions in the spotlight. These issues call into question the sustainability of aquaculture, the AfDB said.

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When it comes to farmed fish, much of the focus is on China, which produces more than the rest of the world combined. Indonesia, India and Vietnam are also big producers, but concerns are not limited to Asia. The problems persist because the fish farming community generally includes many smallholders, which makes it difficult to monitor good practices.

Innovations and better regulations can make aquaculture more sustainable, AfDB said. It is a role for government and the private sector. Modernizing outdated laws and improving technologies and practices can help farmers increase their productivity while reducing negative impact on the environment. This will become even more urgent as the market expands further.

“It continues to grow rapidly and is spreading to other countries,” said Takashi Yamano, senior economist at AfDB, in an interview. “The demand for fish will also continue to increase. “

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