FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 529 Integrated mariculture Edited by Doris Soto Senior Fishery Resources Officer (Aquaculture) Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service (FIMA) FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy |
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
|
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information
product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part
of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the
legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities,
or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific
companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does
not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to
others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO. |
ISBN 978-92-5-106387-3
All rights reserved. Reproduction and dissemination of material in this information
product for educational or other non-commercial purposes are authorized without
any prior written permission from the copyright holders provided the source is fully
acknowledged. Reproduction of material in this information product for resale or other
commercial purposes is prohibited without written permission of the copyright holders.
Applications for such permission should be addressed to:
Chief
Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch
Communication Division, FAO
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy
or by e-mail to:
[email protected]
© FAO 2009
Soto, D. (ed.). Integrated mariculture: a global review. FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 529. Rome, FAO. 2009. 183p. Abstract While the concept and practice of integrated aquaculture is well-known in inland
environments particularly in Asia, in the marine environment, it has been much less
reported. However, in recent years the idea of integrated aquaculture has been often
considered a mitigation approach against the excess nutrients/organic matter generated
by intensive aquaculture activities particularly in marine waters. In this context, integrated
multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) has emerged, where multitrophic refers to the explicit
incorporation of species from different trophic positions or nutritional levels in the
same system. Integrated marine aquaculture can cover a diverse range of co-culture/
farming practices, including IMTA, and even more specialized forms of integration such
as mangrove planting with aquaculture, called aquasilviculture. Integrated mariculture
has many benefits, among wich bioremediation is one of the most relevant, and yet is not
valued in its real social and economic potential although the present document provides
some initial economic estimates for the integration benefits derived from bioremediation.
Reducing risks is also an advantage and profitable aspect of farming multiple species
in marine environments (as in freshwaters): a diversified product portfolio increases
the resilience of the operation, for instance when facing changing prices for one of the
farmed species or the accidental catastrophic destruction of a crop. Yet such perspectives
are far from been considered in mariculture where, on the contrary, there is a tendency
to monoculture. |