The United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently published a report titled The State of the World’s Aquatic Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, which is the first ever of its kind and focuses on farmed aquatic species and their wild relatives within national jurisdictions. 

The report builds the information and knowledge base required for action at the national, regional, and international levels sustainably to conserve, use, and develop aquatic genetic resources for food and agriculture. With contributions from more than 90 countries, the report portrays the broad range of aquatic organisms farmed and fished around the globe, the various technologies used, the status of existing programs, the roles of key stakeholders, and the main national and international policies and networking mechanisms at play. In its report, FAO highlights challenges for the responsible management of aquatic genetic resources, which include a need for the acceleration of genetic improvement of key aquaculture species and the development of strong policies and governance systems.