Sustainable
Aquaculture
Texas Envirothon
-AquaticsTeacher Workshop
January 11 2014
Jenny Oakley
Environmental Scientist
oakley@uhcl.edu
Aquatic Resource Consumption
• In the US, 16 ½ lbs of
seafood/person/year
o US population (2012): ~314million
= ~5.2billion lbs/year
• US imports over half of
the seafood it consumes.
• Global total production
=148.5 million tons in
2010.
Fish is good for you…right?
• Institute of Medicine: recommends
a diet rich in seafood.
•
Lean, heart healthy source of protein
• But, Is all seafood safe to eat?
o
o
o
o
o
PCBs
Heavy metals
DDT
Hormones
Radiation?
Overfishing
• Definition: Catching too much fish for the system to
support by reproduction.
o
o
o
o
Economically extinct fisheries
Fishing down the food-chain
Bycatch
Irreversible consequences
• Overfishing Video LINK
OMG, we are doomed!
• Wait, is this some kind of fish story?
o Sample methods
o Population numbers = a guess
o Middle Ground
• Magnuson–Stevens Fishery
Conservation and Management
Act -1976o
o
o
o
Sustainable fisheries act of 1996
National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
State Parks and Wildlife Department
So… how do we provide food?
• Aquaculture production = avg. growth of 6.3 % per year
• 2010, value of aquaculture production ~ at $119.4 billion.
Producer
• Top 10 aquaculture producers In
2010, contributed 87.6 % of world
production by quantity.
China
India
Viet Nam
Indonesia
Bangladesh
Thailand
Norway
Egypt
Myanmar
the Philippines
Million
Metric
Tons
36.7
4.6
2.7
2.3
1.3
1.4
1
0.9
0.8
0.7
Aquaculture
• Definition: the farming of aquatic organisms.
• Output of Aquaculture:
o Consumption
• Direct: fish market
• Indirect: fish meal or byproducts
o Stock wild populations
• TPWD = 40 million fish in public
lakes, ponds, and saltwater bays
What is being produced?
• Major cultured species:
o
o
o
o
o
o
Freshwater Fishes: 56.4%
Molluscs: 23.6%
Crustaceans: 9.6%
Diadromous Fishes: 6.0 %
Marine Fishes: 3.1%
Other: 1.4%
Aquaculture Types
Farm/Tank vs Ranch/Cage
Aquaculture Products
Fish
Amphibians
Invertebrates
Reptiles
Plants
Is Aquaculture the Answer?
Environmental Impacts
• Loss of natural habitat
o Water needs
• Coastal areas: Mangroves
• Riparian zone: Rivers
• Loss of genetic diversity
o Brood Stock
Environmental Impacts Cont.
• Water Usage
o Intake screens
o Water rights
• Pollution
o
o
o
o
Eutrophication
Thermal pollution
Disease and Pathogens
Antibiotics, steroids, & drug resistant
pathogens
Environmental Impacts Cont.
• Escapees
o Invasive species
• Asian Carp LINK
o Genetic pollution
• Predator Control
o Permitted and Unpermitted control of birds, marine mammals, etc.
• Physical removal
• Sonar
Environmental Impacts Cont.
• Feeding Fish with Fish?
o Wild caught fish used to feed
aquaculture
o Farming carnivores LINK
Sustainability of Aquaculture
• Proper site selection
o Permitting requirements
• Reduce overfeeding
o Cuts costs of food
o Reduces nutrient buildup
o Helps maintain D.O. levels
• Polyculture/Aquaponics
o Utilizes natural foods efficiently
o But is it possible large-scale?
Sustainability of Aquaculture Cont.
• Grow vegetarian fish & feed vegetarian food LINK
• Closed Loop/Recirculating Systems
o Addresses: Water needs, outfall pollution
o Increase costs with expensive and complex filtration systems
Sustainability of Aquaculture Cont.
• Avoid overstocking
o Reduced stress
o Reduced disease/pathogen outbreak
• Minimize antibiotic use
• Sell and Buy Locally
o Reduce transportation footprint
• Stock native species
o Temperature requirements
What can
you do?
• Make ocean-friendly
seafood choices
o Avoid unsustainable
seafood in the grocery
store or restaurants
o Ask, where your seafood
came from!
o Try to eat locally grown
seafood (Regional)
o Spread the word!
Questions?
Jenny Oakley
oakley@uhcl.edu
Dichotomous Key