Problems: Aquaculture

Aquaculture can harm wild fish

Farming of fish, shrimp, and shellfish is often is viewed - and marketed - as a way to take pressure off wild fisheries. But some types of aquaculture are actually increasing pressure on several already threatened marine species.

Aquaculture is a huge industry. The farming of fish, shrimp, and shellfish is set to overtake cattle ranching by the end of this decade. Aquaculture, which also includes the farming of seaweeds, is the world's fastest growing food sector, worth a massive US$56 billion globally and providing one-third of the fish people consume.

When done properly, some forms of aquaculture can indeed help take pressure off wild fisheries and provide needed income to coastal communities. However, as production rises, so too can aquaculture's impacts on the environment and wild marine species, through:

• competition for space
• pollution
• escaped farmed fish
• parasites and disease
• the use of wild-caught fish for fish feed
• the use of wild-caught fish for farming
• conflict with predators, such as seabirds, seals, and starfish
  

The severity of these impacts depends upon the species being farmed. Oyster and clam farms, for example, have fewer impacts than shrimp and salmon farms, which in turn have fewer impacts than tuna farms.

However, the detrimental impacts can be huge, and have even proven disastrous in some parts of the world. Impacts on local marine biodiversity can in turn cause problems for local communities that rely on marine resources for their livelihoods.

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