Our growing global population and increasing demand for protein means that we need to produce more but this needs to be done with minimal environmental impact if it is to be sustainable for the future.

Human consumption of fish has now overtaken that of beef, with aquaculture accounting for half of all fish consumed. Aquaculture holds great potential but the industry is still relatively young and faces significant challenges.

In order for the aquaculture industry to meet the growing demand for protein, we must ensure we continue to reduce our environmental impact, and ensure the sustainable future of the sector.

We take our leadership position seriously and are working with clients and partners to develop and deploy solutions to some of the industry’s most pressing challenges including:

• Minimising the environmental impact of ours and our partners’ operations
• Safeguarding biodiversity and the waters we operate in
• Minimising emissions such as CO 2 , phosphorus and nitrogen
• Increasing the efficiency and use of fresh water
• Applying technology to develop innovative and efficient solutions
• Collaborating with partners and industry stakeholders to share information and best-practices when it comes to the environment.

There is a great deal of alignment between Benchmark’s work and the aspirations of the Goals. Benchmark directly and indirectly contributes to the delivery of them, in particular, Goal 14: Life below water, which runs through everything we do, including:

• Collaborating with long-standing partner, Espersen, and other industry partners to develop new technologies with improved selectivity to reduce by-catch, increase fuel efficiency and reduced environmental impact — including damage to the ocean floor.
• Improving fish genetics to increase yield, quality and health. Providing advanced nutrition to enhance fish growth and health thereby contributing to a sustainable source of protein to feed a growing population.
• Developing health products and solutions that reduce waste from disease or sub-optimal production;
• Providing training and data solutions to educate and up-skill stakeholders throughout aquaculture and the food chain.
• Investing in research, development and innovation to solve the most pressing challenges to achieving greater sustainability.