Capture Based Aquaculture

"The aim of this report is to define and review this "semi-aquaculture practice", which has been more accurately named "capture-based aquaculture." -- Preface.

This publication contains two parts.

This publication contains two parts.

This document aims to provide a better understanding of the role of the economic, institutional and sociocultural components within the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) process and to examine some potential methods and approaches that may facilitate the adoption of EAF management. It explores both the human context for the ecosystem approach to fisheries and the human dimensions involved in implementing the EAF. For the former, the report provides background material essential to understand prior to embarking on EAF initiatives, including an understanding of key concepts and issues, of the valuation of aquatic ecosystems socially, culturally and economically, and of the many policy, legal, institutional, social and economic considerations relevant to the EAF. With respect to facilitating EAF implementation, the report deals with a series of specific aspects: (1) determining the boundaries, scale and scope of the EAF; (2) assessing the various benefits and costs involved, seen from social, economic, ecological and management perspectives; (3) utilizing appropriate decision-making tools in EAF; (4) creating and/or adopting internal incentives and institutional arrangements to promote, facilitate and fund the adoption of EAF management; and (5) finding suitable external (non-fisheries) approaches for financing EAF implementation.

The 2018 edition of The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture emphasizes the sector’s role in achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and measurement of progress towards these goals. It notes the particular contributions of inland and small-scale fisheries, and highlights the importance of rights-based governance for equitable and inclusive development. As in past editions, the publication begins with a global analysis of trends in fisheries and aquaculture production, stocks, processing and use, trade and consumption, based on the latest official statistics, along with a review of the status of the world’s fishing fleets and human engagement and governance in the sector. Topics explored in Parts 2 to 4 include aquatic biodiversity; the ecosystem approach to fisheries and to aquaculture; climate change impacts and responses; the sector’s contribution to food security and human nutrition; and issues related to international trade, consumer protection and sustainable value chains. Global developments in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, selected ocean pollution concerns and FAO’s efforts to improve capture fishery data are also discussed. The issue concludes with the outlook for the sector, including projections to 2030. As always, The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture aims to provide objective, reliable and up-to- date information to a wide audience, including policy-makers, managers, scientists, stakeholders and indeed all those interested in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

Explores the main issues dealing with interactions between aquaculture and capture fisheries using the existing knowledge at Adriatic basin level. Includes discussions of: local fishing communities (i.e. competition for coastal area use), the impact of aquaculture on local aquatic resources (i.e. genetic pollution, exotic species introduction, pathology spreads), market competition, quality of product, mechanisms to control and prevent competition as well as existing agreements. Also incoudes three case studies on blue fin tuna, eel and shellfish culture.

The aquaculture of commercially valuable fish and invertebrate species is growing rapidly worldwide and has become a critically important additional means of production of freshwater and seafood at a time when many natural populations are declining in the wild. Capture-based aquaculture (CBA) is defined as the practice of collecting live material from the wild and its use under aquaculture conditions. It makes a significant contribution to aquatic production and livelihood generation. It encompasses a range of activities, from the capture of larvae, juveniles and subadults of desirable fish and invertebrate species as seed material for grow-out in captive conditions, to the taking of adults as broodstock and the use of wild-caught fishes and invertebrates for feed. Because CBA combines culture activities with exploitation of natural resources, there is potential for competition and conflict among fishing sectors that target different life history phases of target species and for impacts on the environment through overfishing or habitat damage. There are very few species produced by aquaculture that have little, or no, dependence on wild populations of target and non-target species. This means that the aquaculture of many species is still reliant on the sourcing of organisms from natural populations for some part of the operation, or with impacts to the wild fisheries in some manner as a result of that activity. The management and conduct of operations that have these effects, therefore, need to take account of both fishery and aquaculture considerations and good practices. Until recently, CBA attracted little attention as an activity distinct from hatchery-based aquaculture (HBA) for monitoring and management consideration and indeed it has typically been treated in the same way as HBA. However, while the use of wild-caught resources for feed in aquaculture facilities is similar for both CBA and HBA, the heavy dependence of CBA on wild resources for seed and its implications for wild populations have been increasingly recognized in the last decade. The long-term goal of most forms of aquaculture is eventually to transition from CBA to fully HBA; however, there is a range of biological, socio-economic and practical reasons why this is unlikely to occur for many species, or in some cases, where this may even be undesirable or unnecessary. It must be recognized that CBA is an important and essential part of the aquaculture industry, but to ensure that its contributions lead to long-term societal and environmental benefits it must be operated sustainably and according to the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and within the framework of an ecosystem approach to management. Recognizing that CBA will continue to provide important or essential inputs to aquaculture operations and that it is the starting point for the aquaculture of any species has led to the development of these technical guidelines for the responsible management and conduct of this activity. Specifically, these guidelines address the actual and potential impacts of wild-seed harvest on target and non-target (bycatch), including threatened species, biodiversity and on the environment and marine ecosystem. The guidelines also consider capture and post-collection practices, grow-out, feed and broodstock, social and economic factors, and governance considerations. These technical guidelines identify CBA principles and guidelines for good practices and provide numerous illustrative case studies from a diverse range of species and fisheries.

Fish have the same stress response and powers of nociception as mammals. Their behavioural responses to a variety of situations suggest a considerable ability for higher level neural processing – a level of consciousness equivalent perhaps to that attributed to mammals. Each chapter of this book has been written by specialists in their field. The subject matter is wide ranging and covers in detail concepts of animal welfare in addition to more specific aspects of fish welfare. Philosophical concepts of welfare are discussed along with more practical areas of fish welfare encompassing all husbandry and management activities that have a potential to affect the welfare of the fish in our care. This book is an essential purchase for fish veterinarians, fish farmers, fish biologists and those involved in the aquaculture industry and its regulation.