WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • DECEMBER 2016 7 CHAPTER REPORTS As I prepare to attend LACQUA16 in Lima, Peru, I have been reflecting on the conference theme of “Innovative Aquaculture under Environmental Challenges,” which highlights the use of new technologies to promote environmentally-responsible aquaculture. According to the FAO, the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region is responsible for 3.8 percent of the world’s aquaculture production of fishery products. On the other hand, the region has 15 percent of the globe’s land area, 7 percent of its coastline, 8 percent of its population, and 6 percent of its gross domestic product. These numbers suggest that aquaculture has significant potential to grow, but the real driver for aquaculture is the need to improve the food security and nutrition of our growing population. With fisheries exploited to their limit, aquaculture is the only technology that can help meet the demand for fishery products. LAC aquaculture professionals face the dual challenge of sustainable development: implementing highly productive projects while minimizing their environmental impacts. Recent human influence on the planet is so profound that some scientists refer to it as a new geological epoch — the Anthropocene — defined as a period when human activities have become a significant factor affecting the Earth on a geological scale. Since the emergence of the industrial revolution human industries such as manufacturing, mining, energy, and food production have been the major drivers of environmental degradation, with profound effects on biodiversity, pollution, erosion, and climate. To illustrate the gravity of this situation, a recent World Wildlife Fund — Living Planet Report stated that, between 1970 and 2012, there was a 58 percent decline in a large group of monitored populations of fish, birds, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, with the greatest losses occurring in freshwater environments. All productive activities generate an environmental footprint, but aquaculture as a whole has learned much from the mistakes of the 1970s and 1980s and has evolved into one of the most environmentally-friendly technologies for food production. The Blue Frontiers report issued in 2012 by Conservation International and the WorldFish Center compared different animal protein production systems in terms of their effects on water, land, feed resources, and greenhouse gas emissions using full Life Cycle Assessment. The conclusion was that aquaculture is by far the least impactful of all systems compared. Research and technology focused on environmentally-sound aquaculture needs to continue this trend, especially in the LAC region, which is rich in biodiversity and needs to further develop aquaculture capacity to contribute to the food supply and to help preserve wild fisheries. While relatively underdeveloped, aquaculture in Latin America has enjoyed better social license and more favorable regulatory climate than in other regions of the world. To build and expand on these advantages LAC aquaculture needs to intensify its efforts towards environmental responsibility. Sustainability-oriented research and technology in aquaculture relates to systems and practices that prevent or mitigate environmental impacts by focusing on the following general areas: a) efficient use of limited resources, such as energy, freshwater, fishmeal, and fish oil; b) integration of aquaculture with ecosystems; c) technologies that minimize pollution and improve water quality; d) replacement of antibiotics, pesticides, and other drugs with environmentally-friendly alternatives; e) prevention or reversal of sensitive habitat degradation; f) improvement of the health of farmed stocks; and, g) avoidance of disease transfer and genetic effects from farmed organisms to wild counterparts. I sincerely hope that our LACQUA conference helps producers, educators, researchers, planners, and regulators focus on developing, teaching, applying, and overseeing technologies to improve the sustainability of aquaculture in the region. If we meet this goal, we will have fulfilled our mission to stimulate aquaculture production while serving as stewards of our environment. — Lorenzo Juarez, President Latin American and Caribbean Chapter Wisconsin • USA 920-208-1500 Now you can adjust grading sizes without juggling multiple baskets. Our graders float, adjust quickly and have larger bars so fish pass through with little chance of gill damage. Perfect for fresh or salt water, choose either the 30 or 50 settings model. A GRADER THAT MAKES YOUR JOB EASIER 15” x 17” x 11.5” Larger size also available. Visit www.freshflo.com for more details. Check out our aerators and feeder too!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjExNDY=