In 2025, the Blue Resources for Development (BlueRforD) program has sharpened its research agenda in fisheries and aquaculture, combining global policy engagement, comparative research, and capacity building across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Moving ahead, the collaborative research will primarily focus on sustainable aquaculture.

EfD researchers, together with UNCTAD, organized a side event on sustainable aquaculture at the UN Ocean Conference. Through workshops co-organized with UNDP, the World Bank and national partners, the program helped connect research evidence to ongoing debates on sustainable marine economies and blue economy governance in Southeast Asia.

EfD Vietnam and BlueRforD played a prominent role in the international ELG (Economics, Law, and Government) 2025 conference in Ho Chi Minh City by organizing sessions on fisheries and aquaculture. A multistakeholder meeting in Ghana identified priority challenges for West African aquaculture.  These outreach activities have been important in shaping a shared research agenda for the collaborative.

The team has also advanced the use of the Aquaculture Performance Indicators (API) to assess environmental, economic, and social conditions across different production systems and countries.

Parallel work examined nutrient pollution, disease risks, and antibiotic overuse. Studies also explored eco-certification, biodegradable fishing gear, and fuel subsidy reforms, as well as marine spatial planning as a tool for coordinated ocean management.

Policy briefs have been produced for shrimp farming in Vietnam, tilapia production in Ghana and Nigeria, and salmon farming in Chile.

EfD researchers also contributed to a World Bank report on Vietnam’s marine economy.

Across these activities, BlueRforD strengthened collaboration within its international network. Cross-country team exchanges contributed to a more coordinated approach to policy-relevant research on fisheries and aquaculture.