Environment and aquaculture in developing countries

The Environmental Consequences of Intensive Coastal

Aquaculture in Developed Countries: What Lessons

Can Be Learnt

RICHARD J. GO WEN^

Natural Environment Research Council

Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory

P. 0. Box 3

Oban, Argyll, Scotlaad, UK

HARALD F~SENTHAL

Fischereibiologische Abteilung

Institut fiir Meereskunde

an der Universitat Kiel

Diistenbrooher Weg 20

0-2300 Kiel 1, Federal Republic of Germany

GOWEN, R.J. and H. ROSENTHAL. 1993. The environmental consequence of intensive coastal

aquaculture in developed countries: what lessons can be learnt, p. 102-115. In R.S.V. Pullin, H.

Rosenthal and J.L. Maclean (eds.) Environment and aquadture in developing countries.

ICLARM Conf. Proc. 31, 359 p.

Abstract

The initial development of salmonid farming in Europe and North America took place in

ahelteredembayments withlittle regard for environmental consequences. Them t~nds in development,

copied in other countries, have raised similar concerns regarding environmental impact. Ecological

effects such as enrichment of the seabed ecosystem, nutrient enrichment of the water column (and

potentially eutrophication) and the efrects ofchemicals have implications for long-term development.

Other potential enects such as genetic interaction and disturbance of wildlife communities may

mdict with nature conservation. Social and economic impa~ts generally relate to competition for

space with other activities such as recreation, burism and traditional fishing. The complex nature of

the potential environmental impact which requires integrated planning, combining considerations of

ecological, social and economic factors, has been recognized and employed to resolve conflicts. It is

suggested that proactive coastal zone planning with the careful selection of appropriate locations may

assist in the sustainable development of coastal aquadture in developing countries and avoid many

of the problems experienced in Europe and North America.

Introduction production attained in a number of
countries are presented in Table 1. In
In northern Europe and North some countries the increase in production
America, the expansion of coastal marine has been dramatic. In Canada (Atlantic

has been P~sentadd~sn:Aquatic&ience~Resear~hDivision,

through intensive cage production Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland,

of salmonids. Data on the levels of Newforge Lane, Bdhst, BT9 5PX.