Another Bottom Trawling Article

[TPOTH]

Hear, Hear!

A volley of very good points, rvangeld! Right with you, matey!
Aquaculture has had a lot of bad press and more often than not only massive pollution events and outbreaks of diseases make the news.
I persist in thinking that's our way forward (especially when it comes to alleviate pressure on the oceans/deep sea). Let's remember that aquaculture (on a global trade scale) is a new thing, Some people have jumped on it to make some cash and don't give a flying f**k about the damage their "all-for-profit" attitude is going to cause. My knowledge of it is some lochs up in Scotland had to be closed off (as best as one can do that) due to pollution/disease.
We can think of quite a few of other fields that have/had similar problems. Crops and pesticides strong enough to kill the people who spread them. Herds and vast areas trampled. Battery farming and the regular outcry of eco-activists denouncing their cruelty. Profit maximising and the very recent fout-and-mouth.... and the list goes on forever.
On the flip side, there has been a number of improvements with time and research. Vaccines, free-range, more user/eco-friendly pesticides, etc. The "kinks" in nowadays' aquaculture will be ironed out and we'll get there.

There is work to be done

As an aside, there used to be great hopes in integrated systems (especially for Tilapias farming iirc) where the sewage/waste was to be recycled as fertiliser for plants with either a commercial/export value or a place in the target fish's feed. I remember reading about those experiments and (more importantly) about the plans for expansion, return on investment and marketability.... You wouldn't happen to know what's the final word on those projects? Are they still in research phase?

TPOTH

 

[rvangeld]

I went to a seminar the other day about just this topic. Wastewater aquaculture is used widely in south east asia for carp and talapia. In europe, northern america and australia it seems to be in the experimental stages. There seems to be waves of interest and then funding cuts out. The problem concerning most people seems to be how the general public will percieve fish grown in wastewater. The current test to determine if these fish are fit for public consumption is a test of E. coli. However, many people believe this is not sufficient. What about viruses, fungi and other potential pathogens? There has been little to no research in this area. In Israel, they use waste water aquaculture extensively but only within their country, they do not export. They do not want a 'bad' batch going overseas and ruining their potential export. They are doing more research before they commit to export.
I can tell you that three reaserch bodies are currently looking at in Australia. There is research being done. But as usual it takes time and money, so I don't forsee it being used extensively in the near future.

We just have to keep working at it.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Well, some major international developments are happening, from a company, Sealord (NZ) that has just posted ~ 1 billion revenue.

"Wellington, New Zealand, Rome, Italy and Gland, Switzerland, 6 July 2006, (IUCN) - In a global first, four major fishing companies announced today a voluntary halt on trawling in eleven benthic-protected areas in the southern Indian Ocean. This will protect and conserve the benthic and associated fish fauna and related biodiversity in one of the largest marine protected area enclosures ever." (and more in the link)

"Chief executive Doug McKay said that, for the financial year ending June 30, 2007, Sealord was on track to make $1 billion in revenue. Much of this was due to overseas growth, and a strategy of pursuing joint ventures. "It's helped us build a $500 million business in Europe from pretty much a standing start". Only 25 to 30 per cent of revenue now comes from New Zealand operations." (and more in the link)

 

[Infusoria]

If it's the orange roughy fishery in the southern Indian Ocean, it was fished out by ~2001.

ref:

Strutt, I. 2001. Fleet Flops on seamounts: mountains of debt from Indian Ocean. Fishing News International 41(1): 1.