1. Aquaculture Raising aquatic organisms in controlled environments for food Fastest-growing form of food production –6.9 million tons in 1984 –33.3 million tons in 1999 One-third of world’s fish for human consumption >220 Species are farmed –Shellfish Shrimp, Oysters, Mussels –Finfish Carp, Tilapia, Salmon

2. Forms of Aquaculture Inland Ponds –Substantial habitat “alteration” –Easy to manage waste Coastal Net Cages –Less habitat alteration –Difficult to manage waste

3. Inland Ponds Ecuadorian Shrimp Farms Pro: -Easy to manage Con: -Substantial habitat “alteration”

4. Net Cages British Columbia Salmon Farm Pro: -Less habitat “alteration” Con: -Difficult to manage

5. History of B.C. Salmon Farming 1970’s: Small operations bought by multinational corporations 1980’s: Fishermen, Tribes and Environmentalists oppose salmon farming 1995: B.C. imposes moratorium 2004: Farmed salmon found to have higher PCB than wild salmon

6. Columbia River Chinook (millions of kg) (from Beiningen, KT. 1976. Oregon D.F. W.) Why farm salmon?

7. State of Pacific Northwest Salmon Runs

8. Thirty-six PNW salmon runs listed under E.S.A. Causes: Destruction of spawning habitat –Logging Dams –No access to spawning habitat Overfishing –Reduces returning salmon

9. Salmon Farming Problems Contamination –Increases disease –Produces lots of waste Ecologically inefficient –5 kg wild fish =1 kg farmed salmon Escaped farmed fish affect wild stocks –Spread disease –Reduce viability Farmed fish are more polluted than wild (Science Jan. 2004) –Biomagnification of pollutants

10. Science January 9, 2004 “differences between the farmed and wild salmon contaminant concentrations are most likely a function of their diet.” (Hites et al., 2004)

11. Is aquaculture bad? No…if done ecologically Scale is important –Small Scale = More Environmental Herbivores better than carnivores –Herbivores are more efficient –Filter feeders actually clean the water Integrates with other agriculture –Chinese Integrated aquaculture

13. Benefits of Aquaculture Improves food security –Reliable protein source –30% of world is malnourished Can be very energy efficient –10x more fish per unit area than ocean Reduces pressure on wild fish –70% of edible ocean fish are declining –Reduces by-catch

14. What you can do Support with your $$$$ –Buy Well managed, wild-caught salmon –Copper River Salmon is good Farmed herbivorous Fish Farmed filter feeders –Don’t Buy Farmed salmon Farmed shrimp Resources –www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp