Aquaculture
From coraldigest
Aquaculture and Mariculture
Aquaculture is the process of hatching or harvesting and rearing of marine life for human consumption; this is broken down into extensive and intensive aquaculture. Aquaculture is being used for many reasons including deterring over-fishing, increasing profit, and allow for genetic modification of marine life. [1]
- Extensive aquaculture does not require the addition of feed [1]. Examples of this includes shellfish and seaweed which filter feed or perform photosynthesis.
- Intensive aquaculture requires the addition of feed [1]. Examples of this includes herbivore, omnivore or carnivorous marine life such as salmon or shrimp.
Types of aquaculture
International aquaculture can be broken down into the following three categories:
- One fourth of aquaculture is bivalves which includes clams, mussels and scallops. [2] This aquaculture is for food.
- One fourth of aquaculture is seaweed and algae. [2] This aquacutlute is largely produced for chemicals to be used in health products and body products. [2] Some are raised for food.
- Half of aquaculture is fish and other marine life. [2] Salmon is the largest market value produced within aquaculture and thus is a large segment of production. [2] Other aquaculture that fall in this category are shrimp, crustaceans and other fish including Caribbean fish.
Methods of Aquaculture
Potential Mitigation of Over-fishing
Over-fishing externalities can be grouped into three main categories. Though there can exist other specific impacts, the main three cover the most common and most drastic results of this practice.
- Overfishing causes the destruction of the ecosystem in and around the coral reef.
- The collection of herbivorous fish and creatures -due to overfishing- can lead to excess algae. This excess algae creates a major imbalance in that ecosystem, potentially destroying the habitat of many other organisms.
- The fishing techniques used in fishing can destroy coral. In the case of over-fishing, these harmful fishing techniques and their impacts are multiplied to a greater impact.
- It is predicted that by 2030 50% of fish consumption could be from aquaculture [3]
- Rate of replenishment needs to be sustainable for the ecosystem that the juveniles are collected from [4]
- Urban aquaculture [5]
- Has led to poverty reduction for those who perform aquaculture in Bangladesh [6]
Impacts on Coral
- Coral reefs are used to provide an ecosystem for aquaculture farming. [7]
- Aquaculture contribute to algae blooms, due to the resulting waste, which provides more nutrients for algae. [8]
- Aquaculture on Costal Reefs and Related Problems
- Live reef products are also a common aquaculture market; though this is much less in demand as the food-oriented aquaculture. [4]
Problems
Pollution
- Increased pollution along coast from concentration of aquacultures [4]
GMO Salmon
- AquaBoutny Technologies has created a GMO salmon that grows twice as fast as normal salmon and twice as large [9]
- regulation issues
- fear of its escape into the wild
Case Study
- Asian Shrimp
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. "Aquaculture Within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park." Marine Pollution Bulletin 7.12 (2002): 10. Australian Government, 11 Apr. 2002. Web. 1 Apr. 2016. Web.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Lucas, John. "aquaculture." Current biology : CB 25.22 (2015): R1064-5. Web.
- ↑ Muir, James. "Managing to Harvest? Perspectives on the Potential of Aquaculture." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 360.1453 (2005): 191-218. Web.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pomeroy, Robert S., John E. Parks, and Cristina M. Balboa. "Farming the Reef: Is Aquaculture a Solution for Reducing Fishing Pressure on Coral Reefs?" Marine Policy 30.2 (2006): 111-30. Web.
- ↑ Urban fish farms a wave of the future?; A new york educator says big- city aquaculture can ease overfishing, add jobs and improve diets. (2006, Aug 14). Los Angeles Times
- ↑ e-Jahan, Khondker Murshed, Mahfuzuddin Ahmed, and Ben Belton. "The Impacts of Aquaculture Development on Food Security: Lessons from Bangladesh." Aquaculture Research 41.4 (2010): 481-95. Web.
- ↑ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Fisheries." NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program. US Department of Commerce, 13 July 2015. Web. 01 Mar. 2016. Web.
- ↑ "Impact of Fish Aquaculture Effluent on Reef-Associated Microbial Communities & Coral Health." Fish Effluent Impact on Reef Microbes & Coral Health. Coral Reef Target Research & Capacity Building for Management, 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2016. Web.
- ↑ Rack, Jessie. "Genetically Modified Salmon: Coming To a River Near You?" NPR The Salt (2015): Web