AQUACULTURE: The Blue Revolution?

Aquaculture Status: fastest growing food production industry in the world (1/3 of all fishery landings)

Aquaculture: Fish Farms Energy flow perspective Terrestrial herbivore (cow) vs. aquatic herbivore (carp) Salmon vs. carp vs. filter feeders Farmed salmon vs. wild salmon Table 2. By Naylor, “Effect of Aquaculture on World Fish Supplies” (review article)

Sustainable Aquaculture? 2005: American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, WashingtonD.C.

Sustainable Aquaculture?

A Closer Look at Farmed Atlantic Salmon 95% of Atlantic Salmon population is in Aquaculture! Health Concerns Disease, antibiotics, nutrient loading Human health: cancer Effect on Wild Salmon genetic adaptability Inbreeding Competition New selective pressures Food web effects

Invasive Species Glossary native: an organism that is living in its home environment exotic non-native originally from a different location foreign/alien naturalized: a non-native that has become a part of its new environment invasive: a non-native that has spread to become a dominant member of its new environment weed: an invasive species of plant that causes environmental or economic problems - Noxious weed: legally designated as a pest

Shrimp Farming Mangrove destruction Where does ‘stock’ come from? Change of ecosystem structure Social inequalities Where does ‘stock’ come from? Salinization Land conversion Shrimp Farm in Mexico: www.fao.org/docrep/005/y1818e/y1818e00.jpg

Aquaculture: Risks Impact on wild fish populations Algal blooms Feed for farmed fish ‘Seed’ for farmed fish Fish escapes- invasive species Algal blooms Oxygen depletion Downstream impacts Disease (Wet)land conversion

Aquaculture: Integrated Systems Approach +

Aquaculture: Integrated Systems Approach BENEFITS: COSTS/RISKS: Waste = food Pesticide use Whole is greater than Labor intensive sum of parts Limit to fish density

What Can You Do? Vote with your dollars! Get involved! Educate others!