A Fishy Story Promoting a False Dichotomy to Policy-Makers

It Is Not Freshwater vs. Marine Aquaculture

verfasst von

Barry Antonio Costa-Pierce, Abigail B. Bockus, Bela H. Buck, Sander W.K. van den Burg, Thierry Chopin, Joao G. Ferreira, Nils Goseberg, Kevin G. Heasman, Johan Johansen, Sandra E. Shumway, Neil A. Sims, Albert G.J. Tacon

Abstract

A recent publication by Belton et al. raises points for policy-makers and scientists to consider with respect to the future of aquaculture making recommendations on policies and investments in systems and areas of the world where aquaculture can contribute most. Belton et al. take an ‘us versus them’ approach separating aquaculture by economics, livelihood choices, and water salinity. They conclude “that marine finfish aquaculture in offshore environments will confront economic, biophysical, and technological limitations that hinder its growth and prevent it from contributing significantly to global food and nutrition security.” They argue that land-based freshwater aquaculture is a more favorable production strategy than ocean/marine aquaculture; they disagree with government and non-governmental organizations spatial planning efforts that add new aquaculture to existing ocean uses; they advocate for open commons for wild fisheries as opposed to aquaculture; and they oppose ‘open ocean’ aquaculture and other types of industrial, capital-intensive, ‘carnivorous’ fish aquaculture. They discredit marine aquaculture rather than explain how all aquaculture sectors are significantly more efficient and sustainable for the future of food than nearly all land-based animal protein alternatives. As an interdisciplinary group of scientists who work in marine aquaculture, we disagree with both the biased analyses and the advocacy presented by Belton et al. Marine aquaculture is growing and is already making a significant contribution to economies and peoples worldwide. None of the concerns Belton et al. raise are new, but their stark statement that farming fish in the sea cannot ‘nourish the world’ misses the mark, and policy-makers would be wrong to follow their misinformed recommendations.

Organisationseinheit(en)

Forschungszentrum Küste

Externe Organisation(en)

University of New England
Ecological Aquaculture Foundation LLC
Montana State University
Alfred-Wegener-Institut (AWI) Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung
Hochschule Bremerhaven
Wageningen University and Research
University of New Brunswick
Chopin Coastal Health Solutions Inc
Longline Environment Ltd
Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Technische Universität Braunschweig
Norwegian Institute for Agricultural and Environmental Research
University of Connecticut
Aquahana LLC
Cawthron Institute
Ocean Era, Inc.

Typ

Artikel

Journal

Reviews in Fisheries Science and Aquaculture

Band

30

Seiten

429-446

Anzahl der Seiten

18

ISSN

2330-8249

Publikationsdatum

2022

Publikationsstatus

Veröffentlicht

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Ökologie, Evolution, Verhaltenswissenschaften und Systematik, Aquatische Wissenschaften, Management, Monitoring, Politik und Recht

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

SDG 14 – Lebensraum Wasser

Elektronische Version(en)

https://scholarworks.montana.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1/17255/costa-pierce-fish-2021.pdf;jsessionid=35D3D9AF1D3F1B6A10C83A14D9D250F2?sequence=1 (Zugang: Offen)
https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2021.2014175 (Zugang: Geschlossen)