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Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture Effluents

Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture Effluents. Josh Vinson. Aquaculture Industry. Increase in seafood demand due to: 1. Increased per capita consumption 2. Increased global population Wild food fish populations currently being over fished

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Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture Effluents

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  1. Environmental Impacts of Aquaculture Effluents Josh Vinson

  2. Aquaculture Industry • Increase in seafood demand due to: 1. Increased per capita consumption 2. Increased global population • Wild food fish populations currently being over fished • Wild caught fish production has remained steady at 60-70 mT /yr since early 1980’s • Wild caught fish production can’t be increased • Increased seafood demand must be met with increase in cultured seafood -rapid industry growth = environmental concern?

  3. Aquaculture Effluent • Effluents: refers to either a continuous or intermittent discharge of a liquid from an aquaculture facility • Effluent composition • Dissolved compounds 1. Phosphorus 2. Nitrogen • Sludge • Fecal material and uneaten feed

  4. Dissolved Compounds • Phosphorus and Nitrogen • Cause eutrophication • Algal blooms • Kills fish and other benthic organism • alterations in food chains • removal of oxygen • Organic matter • Increased BOD • Decreases DO in water column and sediments • Alters benthic food chains and ecology • Can kill higher life

  5. Sludge • Sludge: refers to the solid particulate portion of aquaculture effluents. • Composed primarily of fecal material and uneaten feed. • Volume directly related to feeding rates. • Nutrients (P, N), and organic matter leaches out or is broken down and ultimately becomes dissolved compounds. • Impacts are the same as those for dissolved compounds, but management and treatment differs. • End product of sludge treatment is typically used as agricultural fertilizer.

  6. Aquaculture Methods And Associated Degree of Environmental Impact • 3 Broad categories of aquaculture • Extensive • Deals primarily with shellfish • slow, low-volume, dilute continuous waste • Semi-intensive • Cages • High stocking densities • large volume of continuous, untreated waste released • Raceways • large volume of continuous, treated waste. • Ponds • Intermittent release of, treated waste. • Intensive • Closed – recirculating systems (CRSs)

  7. Aquaculture Methods

  8. Management Strategies Goal: Reduce environmental impact of aquaculture without decreasing production • Funding for research • Improve feed conversion ratios (FCR) –ratio of gain in wet body weight to the amount of feed fed • Improve organism-specific feeds to increase nutrient retention. • Improve waste treatment methods • Educate Farmers on: • Method benefits and drawbacks • Integrated aquaculture techniques • Ex Waste-water-fed mollusk farming can be used to recover excess nutrients • Best Management Practices (BMP) plans • Encourage communication between researchers and commercial facilities via conferences and meetings

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