Ninawe A.S.¹ , Shakir C.² , Subhash S.K.³ , John R.⁴

1 Ex-Scientist "G" Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, New Delhi-110 003, India.
2 Department of Biochemistry and Industrial Microbiology, PMSA PTM Arts and Science College, Kollam, India.
3 Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Sree Narayana College for Women, Kollam, India.
4 Center for Ethnobotany and Ethnopharmacology, Department of Botany, St. Stephen's College, Pathanapuram, Kollam, Kerala-689695, India.
Author    Correspondence author
International Journal of Aquaculture, 2026, Vol. 16, No. 1   
Received: 23 Jan., 2026    Accepted: 20 Feb., 2026    Published: 27 Feb., 2026

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing food production sectors globally, playing a vital role in food security, employment, and economic development. This review synthesizes literature spanning from 1988 to 2024, with a primary focus on contemporary advancements and policy shifts within the last decade, to evaluate the balance between seafood demand and ecosystem integrity. While it supports millions of livelihoods, ensuring sustainability remains a challenge. The study identifies that traditional intensive systems have caused groundwater salinization, mangrove loss, and chemical residue accumulation.  Modern aquaculture utilizes diverse species-seaweeds, mollusks, and finfish to promote resource optimization. With the decline in capture fisheries, many nations have shifted toward inland and integrated farming systems. Sustainable development now emphasizes ecosystem-based management, including wetland conservation, effective effluent treatment, and biodiversity protection. Strengthening biosecurity, disease surveillance, and reduced antibiotic use are essential for meeting global hygiene standards. In tropical regions, integrated models like rice-fish culture are evolving into advanced systems such as Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), and Biofloc Technology (BFT). These innovations aim to minimize footprints while improving resource efficiency and biological balance. Overall, promoting environmentally responsible and socially inclusive aquaculture is crucial for conserving marine ecosystems and safeguarding the future of global seafood security.

Sustainable aquaculture; Integrated farming; IMTA and livestock farming; Organic aquaculture