A new three-million-pound project to improve the sustainability of mollusc farming in Asia is now underway, with the overarching mission to strengthen food security and protect incomes against the worst impacts of climate change for communities across Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Recognised as the world’s largest producing region for oysters, mussels, and clams, mollusc farming not only serves as the backbone of the Asian economy – producing around 20 million tonnes of molluscs every year, the equivalent to $29.8bn – but a staple food source for local communities across South East Asia.

Faced with a warming climate, however, the industry has been left vulnerable to some of the worst impacts of climate change including disease, commercial pressures and weakening food and economic security.

To help combat these pressures, an international community of researchers – led by the University of Southampton – has launched a bold new £3 million project to bolster the sustainability of mollusc farming across the region – helping farmers mitigate higher sea temperatures and changes to the distribution and timing of monsoonal systems as well as the associated changes to the salinity of coastal waters.

“A small number of species make up the vast majority of mollusc farming across Asia, and there is growing concern as to the resilience of these culture systems in the face of such an uncertain future,” said Professor Chris Hauton, a researcher from the University of Southampton.

“The reliance on so few species also makes mollusc production vulnerable to climate shocks, outbreaks of disease, and other crop failures, which will be made more likely as temperatures increase.”

At the same time, changing economic drivers, such as the farmers moving away from producing molluscs for local consumption in favour of more lucrative export markets could also threaten local food security in the region.

To address these challenges, a consortium – operating under the name WAVES (Working towards Adaptive and Versatile Environmental Sustainability – has been awarded a £3million grant by UK Research and Innovation to support the equitable transition of mollusc aquaculture to more sustainable methods.

Led by the University of Southampton, the consortium includes researchers from the Royal Veterinary College, the University of Sterling, Can Tho University, Marine and Fisheries Polytechnic of Jembrana, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Northumbria University, and Newcastle University. The team will partner with local groups Worldfish in Malaysia and the Research Institute for Aquaculture No 1 in Vietnam for local knowledge.

Through this, researchers will engage with local communities to map systems of mollusc production in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia to better understand existing production systems. This will include mapping stakeholders, relationships, influential factors, challenges, and trends. By improving their understanding of these factors, alongside the threats the mollusc farming sector currently faces from climate change, the team will be able to develop the tools to plan for the future sustainable expansion of the sector, while making it more resilient to those impacts.

Dr Andrew Desbois from the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling, said: “Mollusc farming has a low environmental footprint and by filtering seawater as they food, molluscs enhance water quality in and around the farms.

“Taking steps to ensure production continues in a changing climate will help make sure these highly nutritious foods will be available in the regions where they are farmed and around the world.”

Studies will be conducted on how tolerant different mollusc species are to environmental changes, changes in salinity, and disease. By taking a broad look at all species alternatives, the work intends to build a foundation of diverse culture stock, offering resilience to future shocks of challenges. 

On top of this, data will be gathered to demonstrate how farming a more diverse mix of species and investing in hatcheries to develop high-quality seed could make farming more resilient and produce safer, more nutritious food.

The findings from this £3 million project will be shared with mollusc farmers and policymakers in the region with the aim of highlighting the steps they can take to transition to a more sustainable and equitable future.

“This information will not only help regional planners to think strategically about how best they can support mollusc farming into the future, but also empower farmers to improve farming practices to produce high-quality mollusc products in a sustainable, more resilient way.”

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