Applying Environmental Footprint Concept for Biodiversity Conservation In Semi-Intensive Aquaculture

Aquaculture is of great importance worldwide, serving as an alternative source to traditional food production systems and helping supply the expansion of human population. Increase of global aquaculture production is achieved by intensification of farming systems, including increased farm size, material inputs, energy demands, and effluent discharge. The intensification has generated global concerns over its negative environmental impacts on the environment, aquatic ecosystems and human livelihoods in coastal areas. The negative effects of intensive aquaculture on biodiversity have been the subject of much recent debate. The debate is over whether semi-intensive aquaculture at a lower level of intensity and using more natural systems should be promoted to conserve biodiversity while still producing enough food. Thus, evaluation of environmental performance on different semi-intensive aquaculture systems is highly demanded. This overview examines impacts of semi-intensive aquaculture systems on biodiversity conservation from an environmental footprint perspective.