Cultivating regenerative aquaculture: a conceptual framework based on a review of regenerative food systems literature

Blue foods, derived from aquatic sources, play a crucial role in advancing sustainable, equitable, and healthy food systems, contributing to several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. Aquaculture, now the leading source of blue foods globally, continues to grow but faces challenges such as environmental degradation, nutrient waste, and social inequities, particularly in intensive carnivorous fin-fish farming. Alternative systems, such as lower trophic and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, offer potential for sustainability but require further exploration of their ecological, social, and economic impacts. The grassroots emergence of regenerative aquaculture and ocean farming has received surprisingly little academic analysis to date. Since the concept of regenerative approaches is gaining significant momentum at the same time as the aquaculture sector continues to grow, articulating what a regenerative approach to aquaculture entails becomes a relevant and important task. This review explores the concept of regenerative aquaculture and proposes a conceptual framework drawing on broader literature on regenerative food systems and agriculture. The framework for regenerative aquaculture emphasizes five interconnected features: outcomes (beneficial for people and nature), mindsets (thinking and living as interconnected systems), principles (diversity, reciprocity and equity), practices (context specific), and dynamics (positive cycles, learning and adaptation). The framework calls for aquaculture systems that promote ecological regeneration, nature-positive outcomes, social wellbeing and equity. To successfully shift from extractive to regenerative food systems, transformation across governance structures, economic systems, and societal values is needed. Future research to help refine and implement regenerative aquaculture should incorporate empirical studies, practitioner expertise, and diverse knowledge systems, together with a commitment to the deep transformations necessary for fostering sustainable and equitable global food systems.