The 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22 saw tensions rise between developed and developing countries, particularly on the climate finance front. Widespread disappointment was expressed when the COP was gavelled to a close, developed nations having only agreed to help channel at least $300 billion a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change. This figure stands in stark contrast to the $1.3 trillion that developing countries were calling for. With financing and geopolitical issues underpinning all discussions, progress was slow on many fronts. Nevertheless, important advancements were made in finding agreements on carbon markets and food system transformations. In fact, food systems got a good showing at COP29, with a dedicated Food, Agriculture and Water Day on November 19.
However, discussions around food systems on this day and throughout the conference focused heavily on the agriculture sector and aquatic foods were rarely mentioned. Aiming to fill this gap and elevate blue foods in the climate forum, EBCD, together with WorldFish, the FAO, and other partners, co-organised a side-event on “Aquatic Foods for Climate Action: Showcasing Solutions to Increase Ambition,” highlighting the critical role of aquatic foods as climate solutions. The event brought together Party representatives, scientific experts, and financial institutions to discuss innovative solutions, policy priorities, and financing strategies to enhance the contribution of aquatic food systems to climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. Panellists emphasised that aquatic foods provide essential nutrition with a lower environmental impact compared to other animal-based proteins and support the livelihoods of over 800 million people globally, particularly in regions like Africa, Asia, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Perspectives from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Kenya, and the Pacific showcased how they are incorporating aquatic foods into their NDCs and aligning global and national goals and targets. Discussions revealed that aquatic foods are underrepresented in climate policies despite their potential for climate-smart adaptation and mitigation. Aiming to bridge this gap, speakers outlined innovative solutions and highlighted what they are doing to elevate aquatic foods in their national capacity. In this regard, Australia highlighted how indigenous communities are being integrated more in fisheries and aquaculture decision-making, while Brazil focused on solutions to prevent deforestation for aquaculture feed. Cambodia showcased its policy integration efforts and collaboration across sectors and a SIDS representative stressed the importance of aquatic foods in the Pacific region and developing measures to mitigate permanent species migration. Finally, Kenya discussed ways to make the aquatic food sector more gender inclusive. Across the board, speakers called for increased financial investments, better data collection, and the repurposing of harmful subsidies to drive sustainable practices.
The event concluded with a unified call to integrate aquatic foods into global and national climate strategies. Increased investment, policy alignment, and advocacy in international forums like COP are crucial to unlocking their potential as climate solutions. Aquatic foods, the panel agreed, are indispensable to achieving global climate and food security goals.
