The Impact of Fisheries and Aquaculture Production on Carbon Emissions: The Role of Natural Resource Rents

This study investigates the long-run relationships between aquaculture production (AP), fisheries production (FP), natural resource rents (NRR), economic growth, and CO₂ emissions in China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Malaysia over the period 1990–2021. Long-run relationships are examined using the LM bootstrap co-integration test, while the Common Correlated Effects Mean Group (CCEMG) estimator is employed for long-run coefficient estimation. The Augmented Mean Group (AMG) estimator and additional sensitivity analyses are also used to assess the robustness of the findings. The baseline CCEMG results do not reveal statistically significant panel-level effects of AP, FP, NRR, or GDP. However, the Augmented Mean Group (AMG) results indicate that AP is negatively associated with CO₂ emissions, whereas FP and GDP have positive effects, while NRR remains statistically insignificant. Country-specific estimates reveal substantial heterogeneity, with AP reducing CO₂ emissions in China, India, and Malaysia, while GDP increases emissions in India, Thailand, and Malaysia. NRR also exhibits heterogeneous effects, increasing emissions in India while reducing them in Vietnam. Sensitivity analyses further indicate that the estimated effect of FP varies across model specifications, while the main findings are not solely driven by China. Overall, the results highlight the importance of country-specific production structures, resource management practices, and economic conditions in shaping the environmental effects of aquatic food production. The findings support country-specific policies promoting energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable aquatic food systems.