Advances and Constraints
in Seaweed Farming as a Basal
Constituent for the Environmentally
Sustainable Development of
Aquaculture in Chile
Alejandro H. Buschmann,* María C. Hernández-González and
Bárbara S. Labbé
Introduction
Aquaculture development worldwide is growing continuously as an alternative to exacerbating the
depletion of increasingly scarce fisheries resources (Duarte et al. 2007, 2009). In order to meet fisheries
requirements around the world, considerable effort is being made in the technological and productive
fields to further aquaculture development with the aim of expanding activities to include geographical
zones with more extreme climatic conditions such as in the open sea (Troell et al. 2009). On the other
hand, at present, aquaculture has come under strict public scrutiny in terms of ensuring compatibility
between economic/social development and conservation of the environmental patrimony (Costa-Pierce
2010; Diana et al. 2013). Thus, the growing interest in world aquaculture potential and its expansion, is
generating debate with regard to: (a) environmental issues; (b) the increase in the demand for resources
necessary for production (principally fish meal and oil) (see Naylor et al. 2001; Olsen 2011); as well
as, (c) concern over various environmental consequences generated by inorganic waste (for example,
the accumulation of copper in bottom sediments; see Haya et al. 2001; Buschmann and Fortt 2005 for
Chile), organics (increase of organic material and decrease of oxygen in bottom sediments below floating
cages; Hargrave 2010, and for Chile, see Soto and Norambuena 2004), or biological factors, such as
the increase in parasites (Carvajal et al. 1998; Sepúlveda et al. 2004) and fish escapes causing negative
5
Centro i-mar & CeBiB, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino Chinquihue km 6, Puerto Montt, Chile.
* Corresponding author: abuschma@ulagos.cl
in Seaweed Farming as a Basal
Constituent for the Environmentally
Sustainable Development of
Aquaculture in Chile
Alejandro H. Buschmann,* María C. Hernández-González and
Bárbara S. Labbé
Introduction
Aquaculture development worldwide is growing continuously as an alternative to exacerbating the
depletion of increasingly scarce fisheries resources (Duarte et al. 2007, 2009). In order to meet fisheries
requirements around the world, considerable effort is being made in the technological and productive
fields to further aquaculture development with the aim of expanding activities to include geographical
zones with more extreme climatic conditions such as in the open sea (Troell et al. 2009). On the other
hand, at present, aquaculture has come under strict public scrutiny in terms of ensuring compatibility
between economic/social development and conservation of the environmental patrimony (Costa-Pierce
2010; Diana et al. 2013). Thus, the growing interest in world aquaculture potential and its expansion, is
generating debate with regard to: (a) environmental issues; (b) the increase in the demand for resources
necessary for production (principally fish meal and oil) (see Naylor et al. 2001; Olsen 2011); as well
as, (c) concern over various environmental consequences generated by inorganic waste (for example,
the accumulation of copper in bottom sediments; see Haya et al. 2001; Buschmann and Fortt 2005 for
Chile), organics (increase of organic material and decrease of oxygen in bottom sediments below floating
cages; Hargrave 2010, and for Chile, see Soto and Norambuena 2004), or biological factors, such as
the increase in parasites (Carvajal et al. 1998; Sepúlveda et al. 2004) and fish escapes causing negative
5
Centro i-mar & CeBiB, Universidad de Los Lagos, Camino Chinquihue km 6, Puerto Montt, Chile.
* Corresponding author: abuschma@ulagos.cl