Aquaculture
in Newfoundland and Labrador is a constantly changing and an ever-growing
industry. Here, in our province,
aquaculture is focused on the production of four main species: blue mussels,
steelhead trout, Atlantic salmon and Atlantic cod. The farms for these species are concentrated on the South
Coast of the island, near St. Alban’s, as well as on the North Coast, near
Twillingate, although there are some smaller areas sparsely distributed around
the province (Figure 1). The value
of this industry to the province is indisputable – in 2010, the market value of
the industry rose to $116 million, producing over 15 360 tonnes of fish and
employing over 700 people (Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 2011).
Figure 1:
Aquaculture sites of Newfoundland and Labrador (Department of Fisheries and
Aquaculture, 2011)
While aquaculture is an economically valuable
industry on the island, it does have various conservation implications
associated with it. In our
previous blog post, we introduced various conversation issues with
aquaculture. In Newfoundland,
great planning is put into choosing aquaculture sites; these sites are
relatively restricted and most problems are either not present or are kept
under control (Van Zyll de Jong et al. 2004). However, in our province, we have the unique problem in that
farmed cod has the potential to significantly reduce the remaining wild cod
stocks, which are already listed as a species of special concern (Bavington
2001; Government of Canada 2011). There is a trade off between growth rate and reproductive success
in farmed cod (due to genetic alteration). If escaped cod from aquaculture farms interact with wild
populations, the vulnerability of wild populations will increase. The added effect that the remaining
wild cod stocks are not one large population, but a series of smaller,
genetically different populations, further increases their vulnerability. (Bavington
2001)
Like many forms of industry,
aquaculture can negatively affect the natural environment; in this case,
populations of wild organisms. The goal from a conservation standpoint should
be to reduce all risk factors that may be potentially hazardous to the natural
environment’s biota. This is primarily in the hands of aquaculture managers and
staff, biologists and the general public as a whole. In
order for aquaculture to be environmentally friendly and benefit the
conservation of Newfoundland and Labrador’s natural ecosystems, humans must
take great care in aquaculture operations.
References:
Bavington, D. 2001. From jigging to farming. Alternatives
Journal 27.4: 16-21
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 2011. Annual Report
(2010-2011)
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. 2011. Strategic
Plan (2011-2014)
Government of
Canada. 2011. SARA at risk public registry. Available from: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/species/schedules_e.cfm?id=3
(Accessed: March 2012)
Van Zyll de
Jong, M.C., Gibson, R.J., and Cowx, I.G. 2004. Impacts of stocking and
introductions on freshwater fisheries of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Fisheries Management and Ecology 11:
183-193
Is it actually beneficial to raise cod in aquaculture? I thought that farming carnivorous fish such as cod is a very costly method due to the input costing more than the output because it depletes a lower trophic level fish to be able to feed cod, and is costly to extract these fish to feed the cod as well. So is there really an economic increase due to farming these fish?
ReplyDeleteEconomically, there is a benefit to raising cod as the total value of raised cost comes out to be more then the production costs. However, in terms of sustainability, raising carnivorous fish is indeed an issue as they require more feed than they produce, resulting in a decline in fish stocks.
DeleteA cost benefit analysis done in Ireland on the cod aquaculture industry stated that over the first 4 years of production, there would be a net loss profits but after 4 years there would be an annual profit of almost a million dollars. That analysis can be found here http://www.torsk.net/fileadmin/Filer/RF_Economic_Assessment_of__Cod_Farming_in_Ireland.pdf. Hope that helps!
I'm drawing a blank right now but why is it that mainly all the salmon farming occurs on the southern shore, while mostly all the mussel farming occurs on the northern shore?
ReplyDeleteMainly, it all has to do with the requirements that each species need within a site concerning things like temperature, water quality, wind and current strength. For instance, mussels require sheltered bays or coves that do not act as catchment basins for flood waters or heavy rains. They also need areas that are rich in phytoplankton. Salmon, on the other hand, are usually situated in fairly deep waters with higher water currents. Hope this helps!
DeleteCan you compare the potential impacts of fish such as salmon to filter feeders like mussels? Have scientific studies shown significant threats of both types? What's happened in some of the other regions that have a high concentration of fish farms such as Chile and Norway?
ReplyDeleteI remember reading that mussel farming was the only economically profitable form of aquaculture in Newfoundland. They can be raised in large numbers with minimal input, as they filter feed from the water they are kept in. Is this fact? If so, should more areas be designated for mussel farming as it is a clear cut way of increasing profit through international trade?
ReplyDeleteAny feedback would be great,
Steve, Shannon and Tom
While it is not a fact that mussels are the only economically profitable form of aquaculture, it is true that they are the easiest to raise for the reasons you have listed. Economically, mussels only make up a small portion of the total value of Newfoundland's aquaculture industry. According to Statistics Canada, in 2010, Newfoundland's industry was worst over 116 million dollars. Out of this, mussels accounted for just over 6 million of this.
DeleteHowever, just as the other types of aquaculture here in Newfoundland, mussel aquaculture is still profitable and is more sustainable than other types, so more areas should be designated.