SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT OF NON-FED, LOW-TROPHIC AQUACULTURE SYSTEMS TO ADDRESS FOOD SECURITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA, ASIA, AND LATIN AMERICA

Ford Evans*, Kat Goetting, and Hillary Egna
AquaFish Innovation Lab
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331
Ford.Evans@oregonstate.edu
 

According to the FAO, approximately half of the world aquaculture production in 2014, including animals and aquatic plants, was achieved without the use of supplemental feeding.  Feed inputs are often identified as a constraint to aquaculture expansion, especially in developing countries, making low-trophic species produced in non-fed culture systems well suited to address food insecurity and poverty.  Globally, the bulk of non-fed species are cultured in marine and coastal environments, dominated by macroalgae ("seaweed") and bivalve shellfish.  

Sustainable bivalve and algal aquaculture offer a variety of benefits to smallholder farmers and coastal communities in developing countries, including: (1) increased food security and employment; (2) production of a nutritional source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and micronutrients; (3) reduced need for inputs (such as feed and fertilizer); and (4) production can be achieved through simple, low-tech culture systems.  In addition, the culture of low-trophic species such as bivalves and algae typically have low impacts on the environment and can provide ecosystem services including turbidity reduction, biodeposition of organics, sequestration of carbon, creation of structural habitat/shoreline stabilization, and nutrient uptake. This type of aquaculture also has added benefits for women, who are historically marginalized in the fisheries sector, since these species can be cultured locally with minimal investment and can provide income through the production, marketing, and sales of value-added products.

Bivalve and algae aquaculture however face constraints that may limit adoption in developing countries, including: (1) limited availability of suitable growing environments; (2) user conflict, property rights, and resource management issues in the near-shore environment; (3) degraded water quality, especially around urban areas where demand is highest, leading to human health concerns and restricted access to markets; and (4) the lack of infrastructure preventing safe post-harvest processing, storage, and transport to markets.

The AquaFish Innovation Lab has addressed these challenges and provided opportunities for the sustainable culture of non-fed, low-trophic species by developing technologies and enhancing human and institutional capacity to alleviate poverty and increase food security in coastal communities in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.