The aquaculture industry is in the middle of a dramatic shift as it looks to solve long-standing environmental issues and feed the growing world population’s appetite for fish. New trends in sustainable fish farming that have been developed are the hope for the improvement of the future of the aquaculture industry.
Probably the most fascinating prospect is in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). All these land based facilities employ filtering and water treatment techniques that enable reuse of approximately 99% of water utilized in fish farming. Atlantic Sapphire, one of the earliest entrants into this market, has recently inaugurated the largest RAS facility in Florida which has the potential of producing 10,000 tons of salmon per year with relatively negligible impact on the environment. The company has set the target of increasing its production to 220000 tons by 2031 which can minimize the use of sea cage salmon farming.
Offshore aquaculture is another area that is experiencing a lot of innovation at the moment. The practice of relocating fish farms to central waters where currents are faster and therefore can spread wastes affecting the coastal regions is slowly being adopted. Norway has been a pioneer in this area and has spent a lot of money in developing offshore fish farming systems, new structures that can withstand storms and can produce between 3000-6000 tons of salmon per year. These offshore farms employ computerized monitoring system and other automatic feeding technologies to enhance fish health and avoid wastage of feeds.
Feed innovation is addressing one of the most significant challenges in aquaculture sustainability: the use of fish meal and fish oil that is derived from the wild caught fish. Other players such as Calysta are in the process of producing protein rich feed ingredient from methane consuming bacteria that is a substitute for fishmeal. On the other hand, the diets containing algae derived feed products are becoming popular as the source of ω-3 fatty acid in order to minimize the use of fish oil in feed formulation for aquaculture fish. These other alternatives not only have the benefit of relieving the pressure on wild fish stocks but also they are less greenhouse gas intensive than those commonly used in aquaculture feeds.
Indeed, genetic work has been central to the enhancement of the sustainability of aquaculture. Some of the genetically modified fish are disease resistant, grow faster, and convert feed to flesh more efficiently. The approval of genetically engineered salmon for human consumption in the United States is another latest development in this area though it has raised many questions on the safety and impacts of such technologies.
IMTA systems are becoming popular as they are an attempt to develop culture systems that resemble natural ecosystems. These systems incorporate fish and shellfish and seaweeds and other organisms in a way that the effluent of one becomes the food of the other. It also enhances water quality and also adds value to farm production and productivity. Research on IMTA systems in Canada have indicated positive effects as they have reduced the impacts of the environment on the farmland while at the same time enhancing the production rate by up to 50%.
Technology is becoming very vital in sustainable aquaculture. Monitoring systems have also been deployed in the feeding programs, early identification of diseases and water quality. Camera and sensor fitted underwater drones are used to monitor fish behavior and the prevailing environmental conditions hence enabling farmers to act on such information expeditiously. These technologies enhance fish well-being besides enhancing productivity and minimizing the effects on the environment.
Cell-cultured seafood has the potential to be a disruptive innovation in the aquaculture industry as it emerges as the new trend for producing seafood. BlueNalu and Wildtype are two such firms that are using cell-cultured techniques to create fish products that are better for the environment than wild and farmed fish. As a relatively new technology, it has the possibility of solving many of the environmental problems related to the traditional aquaculture.
The use of blockchain technology can be noted in the case of improving the transparency and track record of the supply chain of aquaculture. This means that the entire process from the hatchery to the plate can be documented from a single fish and this will help consumers to know the origin of their seafood and their quality. It also has the possibility of preventing the cases of illegal fishing and guaranteeing compliance with sustainable practices.
These innovations provide solutions for sustainable aquaculture practices but there are still problems associated with the commercialisation of these practices. The costs of implementing new technologies are high at the start and there is the need for policy and legal frameworks to encourage its uptake. Moreover, there is the need to create awareness among the consumers to support seafood that has been farmed sustainably and why they are usually expensive.
+ There are no comments
Add yours