Researchers from the University of Miami have been monitoring an offshore, commercial fish farming operation off the coast of Panama since 2012. Their results show that the facility’s environmental impact is minimal.
Why it matters.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about 110 billion more pounds of seafood will be needed by 2030 to meet population growth and increased seafood demand. Wild fish stocks worldwide have suffered due to overfishing and climate change.
To meet growing demand, scientists have been looking into expanding aquaculture production into the open ocean environment and growing fish in large, submerged cages.
“Showing that this can be done without incurring in a large footprint is something we will all benefit from,” the study’s lead author Aaron Welch, Ph.D. who conducted the study while a graduate student at the UM Rosenstiel School and UM Abess Center, told University of Miami News.
Why offshore aquaculture?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 90 percent of seafood in the U.S. is imported, leading to a seafood trade deficit of about $14 billion. Open-ocean aquaculture is an emerging approach to fish farming, and one that has the potential to be developed off Florida. NOAA’s Gulf Aquaculture Plan allows up to 20 offshore aquaculture operations to be permitted in federal waters of the Gulf over a 10-year period.
What’s next?
Right now, Florida Sea Grant researchers are in the process of deploying a net pen demonstration project in the Gulf of Mexico as an educational platform for policymakers, the public and fishing interests.
The net pen will float at the surface off the coast of southwest Florida, and will house a marine fish species native to Florida.
The takeaway message
Open-ocean aquaculture is an emerging practice to help increase seafood production in the U.S. And, studies so far show that the environmental impact is minimal.
Where can I learn more?
Read the University of Miami news story.
Learn more about offshore aquaculture.
Kudos to:
The study’s authors include: Aaron W. Welch, Sharein El Tourky, Zachary Daugherty, Gary Hitchcock and Daniel Benetti of the UM Rosenstiel School and Angela N. Knapp of Florida State University.
The study received support from the NOAA Marine Fisheries Initiative (grant number NA12NMF4330087) and the NOAA Sea Grant Aquaculture Research Program (project number NA10OAR4170079).