1. Sustainable Aquaculture
Texas Envirothon
-Aquatics-
Teacher Workshop
January
Jenny Oakley
Environmental Scientist

2. Aquatic Resource Consumption
In the US, 16 ½ lbs of seafood/person/year
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.
The world consumes a lot of fish! In the US, 16.5 lbs of seafood per person per year is consumed!!! AND the US imports over half of all of the seafood it consumes. On a global scale in 2010 the total production of seafood equaled million tons!

3. 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?
PCBs
Heavy metals
DDT
Hormones
Radiation?
And that is good… right? Because fish is good for you… right? The institute of medicine and about every other dietary organization recommends a diet rich in seafood, because it is a heart healthy source of protein, with lean meat. But is all Seafood safe to eat?
Polychlorinated biphenyl: banned in US in 2001, organic pollutant.
What about Mercury and PCBs?
Pacific Tuna with levels of radiation? As a result of Fukushima?
So… Is it good for you? Can anybody guess what the answer is?...YES with Moderation. Anything is good for you in moderation. Most of these pollutants bioaccumulate, meaning the older you get the more inert molecules persist within your body. Becomes a problem when you eat a lot in a short amount of time, or if you are pregnant or nursing, or for very young children.
So sounds good… people eat a lot of fish, and fish is in moderation really good for you… so what’s the problem?

4. Population continues to increase, demand for seafood will continue to rise. In just over 50 years the million tons of fish consumed has quadrupled!

5. Overfishing
Definition: Catching too much fish for the system to support by reproduction.
Economically extinct fisheries
Fishing down the food-chain
Bycatch
Irreversible consequences
Overfishing Video LINK
Bottom line, we have gotten really good at catching fish, and a lot of them! In Fact we have gotten TOO GOOD.

6. OMG, we are doomed! Wait, is this some kind of fish story?
Sample methods
Population numbers = a guess
Middle Ground
Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Sustainable fisheries act of 1996
National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
State Parks and Wildlife Department

7. So… how do we provide food?
Aquaculture production = avg. growth of 6.3 % per year
2010, value of aquaculture production ~ at $119.4 billion.
Top 10 aquaculture producers In 2010, contributed 87.6 % of world production by quantity.

8. Aquaculture Definition: the farming of aquatic organisms.
Output of Aquaculture:
Consumption
Direct: fish market
Indirect: fish meal or byproducts
Stock wild populations
TPWD = 40 million fish in public lakes, ponds, and saltwater bays

9. What is being produced? Major cultured species:
Freshwater Fishes: 56.4%
Molluscs: 23.6%
Crustaceans: 9.6%
Diadromous Fishes: 6.0 %
Marine Fishes: 3.1%
Other: 1.4%
Diadromous Fishes: migrate between salt and freshwater (example salmon).

10. Farm/Tank vs Ranch/Cage
Aquaculture Types
Farm/Tank vs Ranch/Cage

11. Aquaculture Products Fish Amphibians Invertebrates Reptiles Plants
Ask them to list a few examples of each.

12. Is Aquaculture the Answer?
Maybe, but if so, we need to address some environmental impacts that are very common with most aquaculture systems.

13. Environmental Impacts
Loss of natural habitat
Water needs
Coastal areas: Mangroves
Riparian zone: Rivers
Loss of genetic diversity
Brood Stock

14. Environmental Impacts Cont.
Water Usage
Intake screens
Water rights
Pollution
Eutrophication
Thermal pollution
Disease and Pathogens
Antibiotics, steroids, & drug resistant pathogens

15. Environmental Impacts Cont.
Escapees
Invasive species
Asian Carp LINK
Genetic pollution
Predator Control
Permitted and Unpermitted control of birds, marine mammals, etc.
Physical removal
Sonar
2 min video

16. Environmental Impacts Cont.
Feeding Fish with Fish?
Wild caught fish used to feed aquaculture
Farming carnivores LINK

17. Sustainability of Aquaculture
Proper site selection
Permitting requirements
Reduce overfeeding
Cuts costs of food
Reduces nutrient buildup
Helps maintain D.O. levels
Polyculture/Aquaponics
Utilizes natural foods efficiently
But is it possible large-scale?

18. Sustainability of Aquaculture Cont.
Grow vegetarian fish & feed vegetarian food LINK
Closed Loop/Recirculating Systems
Addresses: Water needs, outfall pollution
Increase costs with expensive and complex filtration systems
Start video at 2:00, continue through closed loop system.

19. Sustainability of Aquaculture Cont.
Avoid overstocking
Reduced stress
Reduced disease/pathogen outbreak
Minimize antibiotic use
Sell and Buy Locally
Reduce transportation footprint
Stock native species
Temperature requirements

20. What can you do? Make ocean-friendly seafood choices
Avoid unsustainable seafood in the grocery store or restaurants
Ask, where your seafood came from!
Try to eat locally grown seafood (Regional)
Spread the word!

21. Jenny Oakley oakley@uhcl.edu
Questions?
Jenny Oakley

22. Dichotomous Key