10 Status and Future Perspectives in Aquaculture
311
quality besides its modest visual impacts. This is particularly the case in many
western countries. In other regions, characterized by a complete different social
situation, mariculture may have a positive perception in the public even though it
already utilizes absolutely all the space available in coastal waters. The human perception is different, but both situations imply problems for further growth of the
industry and for the provision of seafood to people.
There are, however, environmental limits to the density and intensification of aquaculture, which presently generates considerable environmental impacts (Tett 2007,
Chapter 1 this book). There is a growing concern on environmental issues in most
countries of the world. Aquaculture is a young industry, and the environmental impacts
of the industry have been continuously challenged through its early stage, probably
more intensely than for the more mature agriculture industry. Although this has been at
least temporarily problematic for the mariculture industry, the industry may on a longer
time scale have taken advantage of such pressures, as mentioned above.
One example is the problem of the rapidly increasing use of antibiotics for salmonids,
starting in the late 1980s. This practice was opposed by many stakeholder groups,
including the educated public, scientists, journalists, and many NGOs. The situation
was dramatic for the salmon industry for some years, but the pressure resulted in a
drive for innovation, in this case, the development of vaccines which could replace
the prophylactic use of antibiotics added to the feed. The use of antibiotics, in fact,
dropped to a very low level within a few years of the introduction of vaccines in the
market. The situation has remained stable thereafter, with very low use of antibiotics
for prophylactic purposes. Public concern was the main driving factor (attitude-type
driver). This concern resulted in research activity and innovation (new vaccines),
and a more sustainable situation of optimism in the industry was achieved at the
end, and is still there. There is little doubt that the industry today takes advantage of
the fact that the use of antibiotics for prophylactic purposes have been phased
down, but the process that caused the changes was indeed very painful.
Mariculture may affect coastal waters, but it is also important to recognize that
mariculture is an industry which more than most others require a clean and unpolluted environment, because the industry produces food for a concerned and critical
market. The issues of food safety has for a decade been on the political agenda,
particularly in industrialized countries. Food production is completely incompatible
with industrial pollution, and also with pollution that originates from mariculture
activity itself. It is particularly the emissions of toxins that are threats against
human health and fish welfare which are problematic, and some coastal regions and
marginal seas are already affected by, for example, relatively high contents of PCBs
and dioxins. The scale of this problem is already beyond the stage where captured
fish resources cannot uncritically be used for fish feed. This might itself have represented a further amplifying factor for a reduced availability of bio-resources for
feed, but there is already a low-cost technology established to remove pollutants
from fish oils that are used for fish feed (Bell and Waagbø 2007, Chapter 6 this
book). The exposure to environmental toxins is, however, still a potential problem
for mariculture development, a problem which to great extent is created by other
industries and practices.
311
quality besides its modest visual impacts. This is particularly the case in many
western countries. In other regions, characterized by a complete different social
situation, mariculture may have a positive perception in the public even though it
already utilizes absolutely all the space available in coastal waters. The human perception is different, but both situations imply problems for further growth of the
industry and for the provision of seafood to people.
There are, however, environmental limits to the density and intensification of aquaculture, which presently generates considerable environmental impacts (Tett 2007,
Chapter 1 this book). There is a growing concern on environmental issues in most
countries of the world. Aquaculture is a young industry, and the environmental impacts
of the industry have been continuously challenged through its early stage, probably
more intensely than for the more mature agriculture industry. Although this has been at
least temporarily problematic for the mariculture industry, the industry may on a longer
time scale have taken advantage of such pressures, as mentioned above.
One example is the problem of the rapidly increasing use of antibiotics for salmonids,
starting in the late 1980s. This practice was opposed by many stakeholder groups,
including the educated public, scientists, journalists, and many NGOs. The situation
was dramatic for the salmon industry for some years, but the pressure resulted in a
drive for innovation, in this case, the development of vaccines which could replace
the prophylactic use of antibiotics added to the feed. The use of antibiotics, in fact,
dropped to a very low level within a few years of the introduction of vaccines in the
market. The situation has remained stable thereafter, with very low use of antibiotics
for prophylactic purposes. Public concern was the main driving factor (attitude-type
driver). This concern resulted in research activity and innovation (new vaccines),
and a more sustainable situation of optimism in the industry was achieved at the
end, and is still there. There is little doubt that the industry today takes advantage of
the fact that the use of antibiotics for prophylactic purposes have been phased
down, but the process that caused the changes was indeed very painful.
Mariculture may affect coastal waters, but it is also important to recognize that
mariculture is an industry which more than most others require a clean and unpolluted environment, because the industry produces food for a concerned and critical
market. The issues of food safety has for a decade been on the political agenda,
particularly in industrialized countries. Food production is completely incompatible
with industrial pollution, and also with pollution that originates from mariculture
activity itself. It is particularly the emissions of toxins that are threats against
human health and fish welfare which are problematic, and some coastal regions and
marginal seas are already affected by, for example, relatively high contents of PCBs
and dioxins. The scale of this problem is already beyond the stage where captured
fish resources cannot uncritically be used for fish feed. This might itself have represented a further amplifying factor for a reduced availability of bio-resources for
feed, but there is already a low-cost technology established to remove pollutants
from fish oils that are used for fish feed (Bell and Waagbø 2007, Chapter 6 this
book). The exposure to environmental toxins is, however, still a potential problem
for mariculture development, a problem which to great extent is created by other
industries and practices.