9 Future Trends in Aquaculture Production
287
To what extent the fishmeal trap associated with aquaculture growth represents
an environmental problem can be decomposed into two key issues, one pertaining
to the regulation of capture fisheries and one pertaining to the market for protein
meals. To what extent increasing demand for fishmeal increases fishing effort is
related to the management regime in operation for the fishery in question. Hence,
whether growth of aquaculture production can lead to unsustainable capture fisheries
is primarily a fisheries management problem. However, as the track record of many
fisheries management systems is not too good, this can be a real problem. It does,
however, require that aquaculture growth increase total demand for fishmeal.
Even if fishmeal production has not increased during the last thirty years, in
which industrialised aquaculture has expanded, evidence indicates that the fishmeal
trap has not been an issue. However, from early 2005 to mid-2006 fishmeal prices
have more than doubled to a record high level. While aquaculture expansion may
have influenced recent price development, the main cause of the dramatic price
increase is the economic growth in China. The Chinese income growth has led to
an increased demand for animal proteins and in China fishmeal is widely used in
animal feeds such as for poultry, in addition to aquaculture.
Since productivity growth is the main engine of growth in aquaculture, the
increased fishmeal prices would prevent further growth for species that is too
dependent on marine sources for food. The commercial breakthrough of cod aquaculture, for example, will probably be constrained if fishmeal prices are to remain
at current high levels. Hence, scarcity may constrain growth of high-priced carnivore aquaculture species, in particular in the short run when feed technologies are
given. Most aquaculture species, however, are herbivore, and even salmon is these
days turning into a semi-vegetarian, so, in terms of volume, fishmeal availability
should not limit aquaculture growth.
In addition to innovations that reduce the dependencies of marine proteins in
aquaculture feeds, it should also be mentioned that recent developments in technologies
for krill fisheries represent a potential alleviation to limited fishmeal supply, as it
taps into an abundant resource of marine proteins.
9.4 Lessons for the Future Development
of the Aquaculture Sector
Although aquaculture is an age-old food-producing technology, its development only
really picked up pace in the 1970s. A revolution then occurred with the introduction
of semi-intensive and intensive farming practices, as producers started to actively
influence the growing conditions of the fish with feeding, breeding, etc. The control
of the production process that was obtained allowed a number of productivity enhancing innovations to take place. These led to semi-intensive practices as formula based
feeding and intensive and industrial practices as in sea bass farming.
The substantial increase in productivity has reduced production costs substantially
in intensive and semi-intensive aquaculture production. This gives strong incentives
287
To what extent the fishmeal trap associated with aquaculture growth represents
an environmental problem can be decomposed into two key issues, one pertaining
to the regulation of capture fisheries and one pertaining to the market for protein
meals. To what extent increasing demand for fishmeal increases fishing effort is
related to the management regime in operation for the fishery in question. Hence,
whether growth of aquaculture production can lead to unsustainable capture fisheries
is primarily a fisheries management problem. However, as the track record of many
fisheries management systems is not too good, this can be a real problem. It does,
however, require that aquaculture growth increase total demand for fishmeal.
Even if fishmeal production has not increased during the last thirty years, in
which industrialised aquaculture has expanded, evidence indicates that the fishmeal
trap has not been an issue. However, from early 2005 to mid-2006 fishmeal prices
have more than doubled to a record high level. While aquaculture expansion may
have influenced recent price development, the main cause of the dramatic price
increase is the economic growth in China. The Chinese income growth has led to
an increased demand for animal proteins and in China fishmeal is widely used in
animal feeds such as for poultry, in addition to aquaculture.
Since productivity growth is the main engine of growth in aquaculture, the
increased fishmeal prices would prevent further growth for species that is too
dependent on marine sources for food. The commercial breakthrough of cod aquaculture, for example, will probably be constrained if fishmeal prices are to remain
at current high levels. Hence, scarcity may constrain growth of high-priced carnivore aquaculture species, in particular in the short run when feed technologies are
given. Most aquaculture species, however, are herbivore, and even salmon is these
days turning into a semi-vegetarian, so, in terms of volume, fishmeal availability
should not limit aquaculture growth.
In addition to innovations that reduce the dependencies of marine proteins in
aquaculture feeds, it should also be mentioned that recent developments in technologies
for krill fisheries represent a potential alleviation to limited fishmeal supply, as it
taps into an abundant resource of marine proteins.
9.4 Lessons for the Future Development
of the Aquaculture Sector
Although aquaculture is an age-old food-producing technology, its development only
really picked up pace in the 1970s. A revolution then occurred with the introduction
of semi-intensive and intensive farming practices, as producers started to actively
influence the growing conditions of the fish with feeding, breeding, etc. The control
of the production process that was obtained allowed a number of productivity enhancing innovations to take place. These led to semi-intensive practices as formula based
feeding and intensive and industrial practices as in sea bass farming.
The substantial increase in productivity has reduced production costs substantially
in intensive and semi-intensive aquaculture production. This gives strong incentives