Monitoring the environmental impacts and consent compliance of freshwater fish farms

Strategies for monitoring the chemical and biological impacts of freshwater land-based and cage fish farms in the West of Scotland are described and the results of monitoring are presented. The compliance of land-based farms with discharge consents is discussed. The impact of fish farming on receiving water chemistry was found to be limited, but effects on benthic invertebrate communities in both running waters and lochs were more readily detectable, although generally localized in the immediate vicinity of the farm. The benthic fauna of a stream receiving wastes from a land-based farm recovered within 19 months of the discharge ceasing. At a vacated cage site in a loch, severe impact on the sediments was still evident after more than 3 years. Problems in monitoring for consent compliance are discussed and the need for closer liaison between the industry and regulatory bodies is emphasized.     

Using fatty acid markers to distinguish between effects of salmon (Salmo salar) and halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus) farming on mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus)

Presence of coastal aquaculture activities in marine landscapes is growing with impacts on the wild fish that share these habitats. However, it is difficult to disentangle subsequent ecological interactions between these activities and marine fish communities. We evaluated the impact of both salmon and halibut farms on mackerel (Scomber scombrus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) sampled near sea cages using condition indices and fatty acid (FA) biomarkers. Results of the stomach content analysis indicated that mackerel and whiting consumed waste feed which was also reflected in their modified FA profiles. Both mackerel and whiting had elevated levels of FAs that are of vegetable oils origin. The use of vegetable oils as replacement for marine oils is a lot more common in salmon farming than halibut farming. Additionally, the overall effects of the two fish farms were more pronounced in whiting than in mackerel sampled near the sea cages. By allowing discrimination between sources of trophic interactions, this method could lead to more informed decisions in managing different farming activities.     

Predicting the effect of cages on nutrient status of Scottish freshwater lochs using mass-balance models

Cage farming of salmonids in floating cage systems has become widespread in the Scottish Highlands over the past 15 years. Determination of wastewater discharges and composition from such facilities, unlike land-based ones, has had to rely exclusively upon results of published studies of waste outputs. To limit impacts of such activities, regulatory authorities have used such data together with lake nutrient mass-balance models to assess likely increase in phosphorus (P) due to both organic and inorganic loading of cage farm losses. Results of biannual surveys between 1988 and 1991 of P levels in six lochs used for cage farming in Scotland, together with estimates of nutrient input on the basis of feeding and fish biomass data, are presented. Results demonstrate that in small basins, where cage farms are the only substantial source of P. model predictions of rises in P level reflect actual changes in water quality. However, in larger, more complex basins, where cage farms represent one of a number of sources of P, and the mass of P present in the nutrient cycle is far greater, use of such models is found to be inappropriate to assess the impact of such operations. Clear effects on loch nutrient levels are observed in the immediate vicinity of the cages. It is concluded that whilst such mass-balance models may estimate total contributions from cage farms accurately, use of such models to determine annual nutrient dynamics of complex sites requires more robust sampling programmes than have at present been implemented.     

Hydrodynamic method for estimating production carrying capacity of coastal finfish cage aquaculture in Southeast Asia

This paper presents the development of a simple and generally applicable hydrodynamic method for the estimation of production carrying capacity (PCC) of coastal finfish cage aquaculture. Dimensional analysis was used to find significant and general interdependencies between the hydrodynamics at fish farm locations and particulate wastes deposited on the seafloor by fish farms. Modeled ratios of deposition to emission of particulate wastes underneath fish farms were found to be primarily a function of the flow Reynolds numbers at the farming locations and the non-dimensional settling velocity of emitted wastes. In the non-dimensional model, farming conditions include daily feed rate, proportion of unconsumed feed, and carbon content in feed and fish feces. The relationship can be used to estimate the PCC of floating net cages imposing a threshold value for deposition. Results of in-situ assessments of the benthic impacts of several fish farms in an aquaculture site in the northwest of Bali, Indonesia were used to validate and demonstrate the effectiveness of the method. Predicted results were able to clearly identify fish farms operating beyond ecologically sustainable carrying capacity. The proposed method has broad applicability and could help make decisions regarding the estimation of production potential of individual farms in pristine areas, for providing first estimates in sites that have scarce data, and for assessment, expansion, and optimization of the currently operating aquaculture sites in Southeast Asia, China and potentially other data-poor island nations. As the method relies on dynamic models, it enables straightforward assessments over the entire aquaculture region.     

Observations on open-water densities of sea lice larvae in Loch Shieldaig, Western Scotland

Sea trout (Salmo trutta L.) stocks on the West Coast of Scotland and Ireland have decreased due to reduced survival during the marine phase of their life cycle. Lice‐infested sea trout returning to rivers could indicate that parasite burdens are contributing to the decline. Salmon farms represent a potential source of substantial quantities of sea lice, leading to a conjectured link between parasites on salmon fish farms and infestations on wild sea trout. To investigate the potential infective pressure on sea trout in Loch Shieldaig, offshore and sub‐littoral plankton samples were collected and analysed for sea lice nauplius and copepodid stages. During the plankton survey, numbers of sea lice on a fish farm in the loch reached a maximum in November 2001. Soon after, numbers of sea lice larvae peaked in open‐water samples and then in sub‐littoral samples. Nauplii were found adjacent to the farm and occurred less elsewhere. This study reports a concentration of sea lice larvae at the head of Loch Shieldaig and indicates a possible relationship between sea lice numbers on the fish farm and lice larvae densities in the open‐water of the loch and in the sub‐littoral zone.     

Assessment of infectious salmon anaemia virus prevalence for different groups of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in New Brunswick

Abstract Infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) virus (ISAV) has been causing disease in New Brunswick since 1996. As a control measure, all fish in an outbreak cage are killed. The objective of this study was to compare ISAV prevalence in cages experiencing an outbreak with healthy cages from the same farm, neighbouring farms and distant farms. Atlantic salmon from five different groups were tested using an RT-PCR test. Groups included moribund fish from a cage experiencing an outbreak (A), healthy fish from an outbreak cage (B), healthy fish from a negative cage from a farm experiencing an outbreak in a different cage (C), healthy fish from a negative farm near an outbreak farm (D), and healthy fish sampled at a negative farm located in an area with only negative farms (E). Apparent prevalences (standard error) for the different groups (A-E) were 0.94 (+/-0.026), 0.41 (+/-0.062), 0.29 (+/-0.040), 0.08 (+/-0.037) and 0.08 (+/-0.037), respectively. All groups were significantly different (P < 0.002) from each other except for groups B and C and groups D and E. Because the prevalence of the virus was significantly higher in the outbreak cage (B) compared with other sites, early harvest of outbreak cages will remove one source of virus. However, ISA negative cages (C) that remain on the positive farm may potentially act as a viral reservoir.     

Benthic dynamics within a land-based semi-intensive aquaculture fish farm: the importance of settlement ponds

The present work aims to assess the importance of settlement ponds (SP) in semi-intensive fish farms by studying benthic dynamics in an aquaculture fish farm, more specifically in the water reservoir (WR) and SP and also in production (P) and nonproduction (C) ponds during a 16-month period. In Portugal, a SP is only mandatory for intensive fish farms, and another objective of the present study is to assess the importance of these areas in semi-intensive fish farms. The WR was the area with highest diversity and evenness, as well as the higher number of exclusive taxa and taxa sensitive to organic enrichment. P and SP samples showed signs of higher disturbance levels, emphasized namely by the association of the opportunistic annelids Capitella spp. and Tubificidae. However, the benthic data from SP points to lower disturbance levels than P both due to an increase in the percentage of sensitive taxa observed in June and October 2004 and by the association of this latter sample with water reservoir samples as evidenced by canonical correspondence analysis. Moreover, a higher and increasing number of taxa when compared with the P area were also observed. Therefore, in semi-intensive fish farms, where effluents from P ponds are directly discharged to the lagoon, the potential environmental impacts would be more severe. In conclusion, the imposition of SP in semi-intensive fish farms should be considered, especially because most fish farms are located within relevant wetland areas.     

Direct interaction between wild fish aggregations at fish farms and fisheries activity at fishing grounds: a case study with Boops boops

Coastal aquaculture installations concentrate large numbers of wild fish species of both ecological and economic importance, including schools of bogue, Boops boops (L.), in high abundance and biomass. The aggregated species consume large quantities of the easily available pellets lost from cages. As a consequence, the physical condition of farm‐associated wild fish is increased and their physiology is altered. These changes may influence local fisheries as many of these aggregating species are targeted by fishers. We assess whether local fishers catch wild fish that have previously aggregated at fish farms by comparing the body condition, trophic indexes, diet overlap and the fatty acid (FA) composition of B. boops obtained from local fish markets and around fish farms. Bogue captured by trammel‐nets and around fish farms facilities presented a similar biological condition, as well as high quantities of pellets in the gut, and their FA profile was affected by vegetal‐derived FAs. In contrast, bogue captured by trawlers were not influenced by fish farms, as they consumed natural trophic resources. We conclude that artisanal fishers exploit these aggregated fish populations once they have dispersed away from farms, and benefit from a ‘biomass export’ from fish farms at a local scale.     

Salmon farming affects the fatty acid composition and taste of wild saithe Pollachius virens L.

There is an ongoing controversy on whether fish farming affects the quality of wild fish in fjords. In northern Norway, local people prefer not to eat saithe, Pollachius virens L., from areas in the vicinity of fish farms because they say the taste is inferior to saithe from other areas. To address this issue, saithe were collected in the vicinity of a salmon fish farm in a fjord in northern Norway and in two reference areas: one site 6 km away from the nearest fish farm in the same fjord, and the other in a fjord nearby with no fish farms. The objective of this study was to clarify whether the physiology or taste of saithe near fish farms differs from saithe in areas with no or limited influence from fish farms. The fish collected near farms were larger than those from control sites of the same age and had been eating pellets. Analysis of fatty acid composition of the fillet indicated that fish collected near the farms had fatty acid profiles that resembled that of pellets more than fish from reference sites. The results suggest that there were individual differences in the time spent near cages for saithe collected near the farm, and that saithe collected at the reference area in the same fjord had also been eating pellets, i.e. had visited at least one of the fish farms in the fjord. In a sensory test, the test panel found that saithe from the fjord without fish farms tasted better than saithe collected near the cages. The test panel found no clear differences in taste between saithe collected near the fish farm and saithe from the same fjord, but 6 km from the nearest fish farm.     

Production of Atlantic salmon smolts in Europe—Current characteristics and future trends

The production of Atlantic salmon smolts in Europe is close to 250 million per year with Norway and Scotland as the dominating producers. At present, more than 90% of the production takes place in land-based, single-pass flow-through farms, but conversion to recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) is being considered by many producers. About 18 million smolts are annually produced in cage-based farms in Scottish lochs.Over the last decade, the annual production at Norwegian hatcheries has increased 3–4 times. Introduction of efficient oxygenation both of inlet water and within the fish tanks is a key factor allowing a reduced specific water flow. Most water sources in coastal regions are characterised by very soft water. Insufficient carbon dioxide control is considered a major reason for disease outbreaks and reduced growth in hatcheries. Commonly applied water treatment attempts in hatcheries are ozonation and UV irradiation, CO₂ stripping and addition of seawater. Only a few existing hatcheries in Norway and Scotland are presently utilising RAS. Modern RAS for smolt production are mainly large farms, e.g. a RAS farm on the Faeroe Islands which produces 6 million smolts annually.     

Grey heron, Ardea cinerea L., predation at cage fish farms in Argyll, western Scotland

Abstract. The aims of the present study were to determine the number and age structure of grey herons, Ardea cinerea L., visiting a large freshwater cage trout farm in a study area in Argyll, western Scotland and to quantify heron predation at the site. Heron abundance was assessed on sea loch shores, running and standing freshwater bodies and at the trout farm between September 1985 and August 1987. Herons visited the farm almost exclusively at night or during twilight periods and, as a consequence, were seen more often by farm staff in winter than in summer. Herons selected cages containing small trout (<300g) and removed them from cages by standing on the top nets and fishing through the mesh. Stock losses were of two kinds; trout were either eaten directly or were dropped by herons during manipulation, when characteristic wounds increased susceptibility to disease or made the fish unmarketable. Adult herons were more successful at feeding than first-years and although younger birds spent more time feeding their intake rates remained lower than those of adults in terms of their total time at the farm. Within a cage, smaller fish aggregated closer to the surface than larger ones and so were more vulnerable to heron predation. In many cases, a high proportion of the fish attacked by herons were blind and/or in poor condition. By recording only wounded fish, farm staff considerably underestimated their losses to herons. Nevertheless, attacks sometimes appeared serious to farmers. However, such losses were small compared with other forms of fish mortality and loss.     

A computer vision system to analyse the swimming behaviour of farmed fish in commercial aquaculture facilities: A case study using cage-held Atlantic salmon

Knowledge of fish behaviour plays an important role in aquaculture farm management. Video systems are the most common and cost-effective way of observing behaviours in commercial aquaculture operations. However long term observation is not feasible due to a limited ability to analyse footage manually. This paper describes preliminary findings obtained via computer vision software that was developed to automatically analyse fish movement and behaviours in aquaculture sea cages. Results show that the system is capable of detecting fish shapes in video recordings and from these shapes quantifying changes in swimming speed and direction continuously throughout the day. Also variations between days were detected and these may have been associated with the daily shift in the tidal cycle. The system has the potential to act as an alarm to farm operators, informing them about unusual fish behaviours on a continuous, real-time basis. It also has potential to assist in the evaluation of fish welfare.     

Profitability and technical efficiency of aquaculture systems in pampaanga,philippines

Abstract

We evaluate the profitability and technical efficiency of aquaculture in the Philippines. Farm‐level data are used to compare two production systems corresponding to the intensive monoculture of tilapia in freshwater ponds and the extensive polyculture of shrimps and fish in brackish water ponds. Both activities are very lucrative, with brackish water aquaculture achieving the higher level of profit per farm. Stochastic frontier production functions reveal that technical efficiency is low in brackish water aquaculture, with a mean of 53%, explained primarily by the operator's experience and by the frequency of his visits to the farm. In freshwater aquaculture, the farms achieve a mean efficiency level of 83%. The results suggest that the provision of extension services to brackish water fish farms might be a cost‐effective way of increasing production and productivity in that sector. By contrast, technological change will have to be the driving force of future productivity growth in freshwater aquaculture.     

Engineering procedures for design and analysis of submersible fish cages with copper netting for exposed marine environment

Novel design and analysis procedures are needed for engineering of the offshore fish farms utilizing copper alloy netting. Existing technologies developed for fish cages with polymer nets are not directly transferrable to the fish cages with copper netting. In particular, the structural integrity of fish cage/mooring systems, and initial high costs of fish cages with copper netting are two major concerns in the engineering for open ocean aquaculture. We propose the modified engineering procedures, which address these concerns and allow for retrofitting of existing fish farming systems with polymer nets. These procedures are illustrated by considering two case studies: design of a rigid-frame and flexible gravity-type fish cages. Performance of both designs is analyzed after the field trials in the North Atlantic and South Pacific oceans, correspondingly.     

A comparison of traditional and modified inland artisanal aquaculture systems

Traditional artisanal aquaculture systems are commonly assumed to be mainly for subsistence, to use predominantly on-farm inputs, and to have been developed by farmers themselves. Such systems with a long history in South East Asia exist mainly in northern Lao PDR, northern Vietnam and in West Java. In most other areas the traditional fish supply, wild fish, has declined only relatively recently, providing a stimulus for growth of aquaculture over the past few decades. An overview of artisanal aquaculture so defined in the South East Asian region is presented from a systems context considering social and economic aspects (micro- and macro-level perspectives), production technology (rice fields, ponds, cages), and environmental aspects (fitting into the local resource base without adverse environmental impact). Most artisanal aquaculture systems are integrated with crops and livestock but generally resource-poor farms constrain production. Rising expectations mean that productivity must be enhanced by off-farm inputs for aquaculture to contribute significantly to the farm household livelihood system. It is proposed that the term ‘small-scale’ be used rather than ‘artisanal’ because of increasing farmer interest in income rather than subsistence, because of increasing use of off-farm inputs, and because of the increasingly important role of science in the promotion of such systems.     

Technical efficiency of carp production in Nepal: An application of stochastic frontier production function approach*

Abstract

Modern aquaculture is a relatively new activity among Nepalese farmers and a small contributor to the economy. Given the abundance of water resources and fish species, rising demand for fish, and its high profitability, aquaculture has potential for future expansion if it is given appropriate attention from the government. In Nepal, productivity in aquaculture is much lower compared to other countries in the region, which suggests that there is potential for increased fish production through technological progress and improvement in farm‐level technical efficiency. However, no formal analysis has yet been conducted to assess the productive performance of Nepalese aquaculture and its potential for future improvement. Against this background, this paper examines the technical efficiency and its determinants for a sample of fish pond farms from the Tarai region of the country using a stochastic production frontier involving a model for technical inefficiency effects. The estimated mean technical efficiency is 77%, with intensive farms being more efficient than extensive farms. The adoption of regular fish, water, and feed management activities has a strong positive effect on technical efficiency.     

海水鱼类网箱养殖水域沉积物有机质的来源甄别

利用稳定碳氮同位素示踪技术,对南沙港网箱养殖水域沉积物中有机质的来源进行了分析研究。结果表明,网箱养殖区(距离网箱边缘100 m范围内)及对照区(距离网箱边缘大于500 m)沉积物的δ13C值分别为(-17.72±1.2)‰和(-12.73±0.38)‰,δ15N分别为(6.44±0.2)‰和(5.61±0.2)‰。网箱养殖区沉积物的有机质来源主要为残饵和鱼类粪便,比例分别占47.70%和27.71%。随着与养殖网箱距离的增加,网箱养殖源有机质(残饵和鱼类粪便之和)的比例降低,变化趋势符合指数方程y=97.167e-0.007 4x(R2=0.848 1),在潮流驱动的沉积物再悬浮及野生鱼类的扰动影响下,网箱养殖源有机质的水平位移可达400 m。鱼类网箱养殖的养殖废物是南沙港水域沉积物有机污染的主要来源。     

An assessment of salmon farms and wild salmonids as sources of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer) copepodids in the water column in Loch Torridon, Scotland

Wild salmonids and farmed salmon can both be sources of Lepeophtheirus salmonis (Krøyer, 1838) larvae . Farmed salmon smolts free of L. salmonis infections are stocked in sea cages and may subsequently contract L. salmonis infections, probably from wild fish. The contribution of gravid L. salmonis at Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms to populations of L. salmonis larvae in the water column has in the past been based on estimated parameters, such as louse fecundity. This present study augments these calculations by combining empirical data on densities of infective L. salmonis copepodids in the field with estimates of the number of gravid L. salmonis on farmed and wild salmonids in Loch Torridon. Data collected between 2002 and 2007 show a significant correlation between mean densities of L. salmonis copepodids recovered in the water column and the numbers of gravid L. salmonis at the local salmon farms. Generally, the farms with greatest numbers of salmon were observed to have stronger correlations with densities of copepodids in the water than the farms with fewer fish. The study suggests that louse management approaches, e.g. treatment trigger levels, need to take account of individual farm biomass, or numbers of fish. This study highlights the importance of control of L. salmonis on salmon farms for the co-existence of both wild salmonid populations and the aquaculture industry.     

Hydrodynamic implications in and around a caged finfish farm and its implications on the dispersal of farm debris

One of the key factors in determining the accumulation of sediment and soluble nutrients within a lease is water movement. Water masses entering and leaving the farm determine the finfish ecosystem interaction. Understanding the hydrodynamic interaction with the farm is therefore key to understanding the potential ecological effects of individual farms. In addition, finfish farms are now being proposed in exposed offshore environments and have caused concern regarding their potential down stream impacts on currents and wave climate. Seven current meters, oxygen probes and CTD were deployed to examine the hydrodynamic interactions inside and outside a 270 m long Salmon farm in Newfoundland, Canada. Current meter results indicate that the finfish farm cages have a clear shadowing effect on the currents. Currents upstream were found to be considerably faster than those recorded downstream during the sampling period. Current speeds inside the farm were also found to be considerably slower than those found outside of the farm especially during high flow events. In situ observations of currents were found to be similar to those predicted by previous CFD and hydrodynamic modelling studies. Modeling was also undertaken to calculate the energy lost as currents enter and leave a series of fish cages. In comparison to the observed flow the model compares relatively well. Flow recorded downstream of the farm was observed to be in the range predicted by the model as was the flow recorded inside and outside the cages. Current speed downstream of the farm is clearly affected by farm orientation which has important implications for the dispersal of farm debris. Average oxygen saturation within the cages over the 5 day sampling period was 80.2 %± SD 5.7 %, compared to nearly 100 %, 20 m and 50 m from the farm site. Orientation of the farm may play some part in determining the location and amount of oxygen depletion within the farm. The farm also acts to push water from deeper in the water column up into the cages which has implications for farms situated in heavily stratified environments.     

Temporal and Spatial Variability of Limnological Characteristics in Areas under the Influence of Tilapia Cages in the Chavantes Reservoir,Paranapanema River,Brazil

The influence of tilapia cages on limnological characteristics of the Chavantes Reservoir, Paranapanema River, Brazil, was investigated in March and June 2007. Principal components analysis was used to compare the transparency; dissolved oxygen; temperature; total organic nitrogen, phosphorus, and dissolved solids; chlorophyll a and electrical conductivity of fish farm 1 (239.3 m.t.), 2 (461.5 m.t.) and areas without cages, in the lacustrine and river‐reservoir transition regions. The variables differentiated the regions and areas with and without cages. In March, in the lacustrine region, there was a thermal and chemical stratification, and in the transition region, there was a temperature and oxygen reduction gradient between the surface and bottom that was also observed in June in fish farm 1. The higher transparency confirmed the increased light penetration in the lacustrine region. In the transition region, there were higher turbidity, total dissolved solid, and conductivity values that are likely related to allochthonous material flow and transport. In fish farms, lower oxygen and pH values indicate intense decomposition and respiration. The generally higher total dissolved solid and nutrient values, turbidity, and conductivity and the lower transparency in one or both fish farms indicate their contribution to eutrophication, demonstrating the need for careful monitoring.