Affiliation:
1. Professor of Physiological Genomics, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of California Davis, USA
Abstract
AbstractIntegrated multitrophic polycultures represent an ecologically more sustainable form of aquaculture than monocultures; their economic feasibility relies on proper incentivization by policy makers. Polyculture, combined with a shift to culturing omnivores and herbivores instead of carnivores, reduces the unsustainable use of fish meal and fish oil by commercial aquaculture. The ecological value of any polyculture is proportional to the diversity of feeding niches occupied by the cultured species. The most ecologically sustainable form of polyculture combines all primary trophic levels (primary producers, consumers, decomposers) at appropriate ratios in a fully closed system. Decomposers represent critical links for polyculture systems. They fulfil an essential role in nutrient cycles and are cultured in biofilters and artificial reefs as ATS, periphyton, and bioflocs. Research on biochemical capacities of bacterial decomposer communities affords new opportunities for wastewater treatment. Polyculture systems can be coupled or decoupled, and although coupled systems have some advantages, decoupled systems appear more promising for future development of sustainable aquaculture. Aquaculture integration is not limited to polycultures of aquatic organisms but should also be pursued to link aquaculture and alternative uses of water, including drinking, sanitarian, recreational, conservation, industrial, and agricultural uses. Integration of aquaculture and agriculture (IAA) is practised in two forms: 1) wastewater produced by aquaculture is utilized for irrigation of crops and orchards; 2) animal manure produced by agriculture is used to fertilize semi-intensive aquaculture ponds.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford
Reference11 articles.
1. Boyd, C. E., McNevin, A. A., and Tucker, C. S. (2019). ‘Resource use and the environment’, in Lucas, J. S., Southgate, P. C., and Tucker, C. S. (eds.) Aquaculture: farming aquatic animals and plants. Oxford: John Wiley & Sons Ltd, pp. 93–112.
2. Chao, N.-H. and Liao, I. C. (2007). ‘Sustainable approaches for aquaculture development: looking ahead through lessons in the past’, in Bert, T. M. (ed.) Ecological and genetic implications of aquaculture activities, methods and technologies in fish biology and fisheries. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6148-6_4
3. Chopin, T., Yarish, C., and Sharp, G. (2007). ‘Beyond the monospecific approach to animal aquaculture—the light of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture’, in Bert, T. M. (ed.) Ecological and genetic implications of aquaculture activities, methods and technologies in fish biology and fisheries. Dordrecht: Springer, pp. 447–458. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-6148-6_25
4. Costa-Pierce, B. A. (2014). ‘The Ahuapua’a aquaculture ecosystem in Hawaii’, in in Costa-Pierce, B. (ed.) Ecological aquaculture: the evolution of the blue revolution. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 30–43.