The Effects of Semi-Intensive Aquaculture On Biodiversity In Nearshore and Inland Waters: An Overview

The effects of aquaculture on biodiversity have been the subject of much examination, but most of the focus has been on shrimp and salmon.  These are not among the most common species grown in aquaculture, nor the most common systems used.  Many aquaculture systems use semi-intensive culture to produce fish at a lower level of intensity and use more natural systems, often in ponds or other containers.  Positive impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity include cultured seafood reducing pressure on overexploited wild stocks, stocked organisms enhancing depleted stocks, increased production and species diversity caused by aquaculture, and replacing more destructive resource uses with employment in aquaculture.  Negative impacts of aquaculture include invasive species established by escapement from aquaculture, eutrophication from effluents, conversion of sensitive land, use of fishmeal, and transmission of diseases to wild fish.   Some of these impacts, especially use of fish meal and transmission of disease, are much less common in semi-intensive aquaculture systems.