Aquaculture and the Circular Economy: Bibliometric Analysis of the Literature Supported by VOSViewer

The environmental and social problems caused by overfishing and unsustainable aquaculture practices make it necessary to implement the principles of the circular economy to steer the sector towards sustainability and responsible use of resources. The objective of this study was to assess the sustainability of the aquaculture sector in the context of current environmental and social concerns in the fisheries sector and to understand the state of research in terms of implementing circular practices, providing a comprehensive mapping of scientific articles focusing on circular practices adopted in the aquaculture sector over the last ten years, describing them and identifying their potential advantages and disadvantages. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Scopus database to obtain a clear picture of the sustainable innovations carried out in the aquaculture sector over the last ten years. The analysis focused on the terms ‘aquaculture’ and ‘circular economy’. The results indicate a rising trend in the number of studies on the circular economy in aquaculture from 2020 onwards, which can be attributed to an escalating awareness of environmental concerns. Subsequently, the analysis carried out by the VOSviewer software allowed the articles to be classified in four clusters, according to the relevance of the different adopted circularity practices. A particular focus was placed on the significance of practices minimising environmental impact, optimising resources and pursuing innovative strategies to ensure sustainability.