Need & Opportunities for more integrated farming practices in coastal and offshore aquaculture Patrick Sorgeloos Ghent University, Belgium The Ny-Ålesund Symposium 2016 Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard-Norway, September 19-21, 2016
Seafood sources million tonnes live weight 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013
data FAO, 2013 150 billion US $ industry
Global production 2011 (million tonnes) seawater freshwater The global seafood production 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Wild capture fisheries Aquaculture Ocean Brackish water Inland /fresh water Source: FAO FishstatJ SINTEF Fisheries and Aquaculture 4
red and brown algae farming in China seaweed farming: 24 million ton / year
mussel farming scallop farming mollusc farming: 15 million ton / year
Trends in global mariculture production in metric Tons (mt) Global China Marine plants 23 776 449 54% Molluscs 15 170 738 81% Finfish 5 551 908 19% Crustacea 6 446 818 56% Source FAO, 2014 7
Challenges, threats & opportunities for future aquaculture Ten years from now, aquaculture will need to produce 50 % more per year than current annual production to meet the seafood demands ISSUES AT STAKE Food security Food safety Environmental impact Diseases Overal Sustainability: economical, ecological, energy, resources
from an empiricial approach towards a knowledge-based bio-industry resulting in new concepts & products for a sustainable aquaculture
FOOD versus BUSINESS aquaculture FOOD aquaculture Asia, esp. China - long history - large production - integrated farming
FOOD versus BUSINESS aquaculture FOOD aquaculture BUSINESS aquaculture Asia, esp. China - long history - large production - integrated farming Recent developments (since 1960s) Japan, later Europe, America s, etc successful new industry monoculture
BUSINESS aquaculture biology technology profitability monoculture approach
Cage systems
Atlantic salmon farming in Norway The largest/best production sites 15 000 metric tonnes salmon per cycle 10 16 cages Ø 50 meter 40,000 m 3 volume per cage and max. 200 000 fish per cage Operated by <10 people: 1 000-1 500 metric tonnes/man year Exposed but not offshore/open ocean Photo: SINTEF ACE
Pond systems
Vibriosis have caused catastrophic reductions in shrimp farming outputs Thailand
Priorities for future technology innovation 1. Complete independence from natural stocks through DOMESTICATION 2. Improved / more cost-effective SEED PRODUCTION 3. Better targeted SPECIES SELECTION 4. Development of more efficient stocks through SELECTIVE BREEDING 5. More MICROBIAL MANAGEMENT for more sustainable production 6. Better understanding of IMMUNE SYSTEMS in vertebrates and invertebrates 7. More INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS for plant and animal farming 8. COASTAL AND OFF-SHORE FARMS of food and energy 9. Full independence from fisheries stocks for LIPID AND PROTEIN INGREDIENTS in aquatic feeds 10. More attention for INTEGRATION of restocking activities with FISHERIES management
More INTEGRATED PRODUCTION SYSTEMS for plant and animal farming
EXTRACTIVE aquaculture FED aquaculture nutrient recycling eutrophication
COASTAL AND OFF-SHORE FARMS for food seaweed production
Trends in (integrated) mariculture production in China Development of coastal aquaculture since 1960s: seaweeds, gradually combined with shellfish production, and further integrated with fish, sea cucumber and sea urchins Marine plants 12,8 Molluscs 12,3 Finfish 1,0 Crustacea 3,6 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Annual production 2012 (in million Metric tons) Source FAO, 2014
integration of culture of different trophic levels MOLLUSCS MACROALGAE FINFISH
Fish + Shellfish + Seaweed Offshore Inshore
Example of Sungo Bay in the Shandong province Total area: 13,000 ha Annual production (in metric tons) - oyster: 120,000 - kelp: 80,000 - scallop: 10,000 - abalone: 2,000 - fish: 100 - sea cucumber: 100
COASTAL AND OFF-SHORE FARMS for food 8 km
Fish + Shellfish + Seaweed Finfish metabolic wastes (NH 4, CO 2 ) fish feed and faeces, microbial biomass Inorganic nutrients Organic nutrients Absorption Absorption Seaweed Phytoplankton Metabolic wastes (NH 4, CO 2 ) Consumption by bivalves Molluscs
Seaweed Nov~June: Laminaria sp. Jul~Oct: Gracilaria sp
Shellfish & Seaweed
Kelp + Abalone + Sea cucumber
Shellfish & Seaweed Ecological & economic benefits Bivalves Inorganic nutrients NH 4 excretion (µmol h -1 indiv -1 ) Scallop Oyster March 1.9 1.9 May 3.4 4.1 Kelp June 2.7 2.1 During the period from Mar-Jun (4 months): 100,000 scallops excrete 10kg NH 4 N support growth of 100kg kelp in dry weight market price of 100kg kelp =1000 Yuan (~150 )
Kelp + Abalone + Sea cucumber Economic benefits RMB/1600m 2 /a Seaweed 5000-10,000 Seaweed + abalone 80,000-120,000 Seaweed + abalone + Sea cucumber 15,000 extra
Fish (+ Shellfish) + Seaweed Bioremediation benefits of integrated fish-seaweed culture Ratio of Fish (ww) and Macroalgae(DW) Winter - Spring 1 kg fish 0.94 kg Laminaria japonica Summer - Autumn 1 kg fish 1.53 kg Gracilaria lemaneiformis
Effluent from shrimp pond Seaweed & Tilapia pond
microbial diversity & stability Vibrio parah. still present but not virulent (QS)
Ecosystem services with seaweed & molluscs Direct ecosystem services Bio-extraction of nutrients, less eutrophication from aquaculture or land based sources Carbon uptake ocean acidification & climate change Role in microbial stability Habitat provisioning Indirect ecosystem services Spare land: deforestation Spare freshwater resources use saline water to save fresh water Seaweed/Molluscs: low ecological footprint
Mariculture in Europe EU China Marine plants 0,0 12,8 Molluscs 0,6 12,3 Spain, France (60%) Finfish 1,0 1,8 Norway (73%) Crustacea 0,0 3,6 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Annual production 2012 (in million Metric tons)
Challenges for integrated farming practices Fish dominated production No large scale seaweed production Technical integration Diversification in Europe and Western world Economics of integration Market for low trophic production is limited Disease & Medicines Governance (incentives, tax credits) Industry science Government
we reveal that the balance of trade-offs is currently not sufficiently positive to motivate the large-scale uptake of IMTA in Europe, and we contrast this against the situation in Asia where the balance of trade-offs gives better support for the adoption and pratice of IMTA. 43
Perspective Food gap challenge towards 2050 69% increase in food production required due to change in diets and population growth World Resources Institute (2014) Creating a Sustainable Food Future
proteins quantity Global primary production and food supply total bioproduction contribution to food supply terrestrial plants & animals aquatic fisheries & aquaculture plants & animals 16 % of proteins 2 % in quantity from Field et al. (1998) and Duarte et al. (2009)
Perspective Better use of marine resources & space FAO - Blue Growth Initiative EU - Blue Growth UNEP - Blue Economy China - Blue Silicon Valley Five-Year Plan for the Marine Economy The marine environment is immense, but not invulnerable! Diversification and integrated farming practices: opportunity to provide food and stimulate ecosystem services contribute to more sustainable production
Better use of marine space Integration with other blue economies
integrated aquacultures with seaweed and molluscs bioremediation of coastal systems from recycling & added value towards feeding the people from an empirical approach towards a knowledge-based bio-industry thank you