As the human population continues to expand, sustainable practices are getting more attention in light of the planet’s dwindling natural resources. Innovation in regard to our energy and food sources has been prominent in the last few decades, and aquaculture currently holds the spotlight. The explosive growth of aquaculture has called into question the methods employed and the long term effects the operations have on local communities and their economy, as well as the surrounding environment. Aquaculture is a double-edged sword in many ways, but progress is being made in the field to establish regulations and standards that will create a more sustainable template for this burgeoning business.
A general definition of aquaculture would describe it as the cultivation of aquatic animals and plants in a natural or simulated marine or freshwater environment. The lifeforms that are cultivated include various types of fish, shellfish, coral, and seaweed. The uses for these plants and animals are mostly for food and aquarium stock. Mariculture refers to the farming of marine creatures in seawater, and these operations are set up on coastlines in the natural environment. Aquaponic systems create a synergistic environment for both the fish and plant life by using the fish by-products to fertilize the plants. As these are in the early stages of development, aquaponic operations are for now solely freshwater systems.
There are several detrimental factors inherent to aquaculture. One aspect is the disposal of the by-products and waste of farmed fish. If the aquaculture pen is placed in a naturally occurring marine environment, the waste of the fish can build up on the seafloor, suffocating life in the seabed and reducing the level of dissolved oxygen in the water column. Often farmed fish are administered antibiotics to curtail infections and disease, and additives to make their flesh appear a certain way, and these can infiltrate natural water sources, creating environmental toxicity. If a farmed fish escapes the enclosure, there are risks as to the spread of disease to wild fish, in addition to the as-yet-unknown toll interbreeding may have on native populations. Wild fish numbers still face a decline due to the fact that they are nutritionally necessary to the farmed carnivorous fish, such as salmon. The consumption of wild fish by farmed fish is disproportionate to the output, thus perpetuating the issue of wild population decimation. The ecological effect on the whole can be devastating to local ecosystems, as they are often displaced or destroyed to construct the aquaculture enclosures, only to be abandoned when the area becomes polluted with waste and changes in the environment render it uninhabitable.
These are all issues that are recognized by proponents of aquaculture, and efforts are being made to adjust the operations to make them more ecologically sound. The great potential aquaculture holds in the way of a sustainable food source is enough to keep research and ideas in constant flux. Aquaculture does have a positive impact in the way of diminishing the need to fish wild populations that are otherwise facing endangerment or extinction, as well as the harvesting of aquatic creatures for aesthetic use in aquariums. As aquaponics continue to be studied and tested, there is hope for a sustainable option to produce and regenerate resources humankind so fervently requires.
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Photos via The WorldFish Center, Bytemarks, CanadianAEh
