FAO FISHERIES TECHNICAL PAPER 498 Cage aquaculture Regional reviews and global overview Edited by Matthias Halwart Fishery Resources Officer (Aquaculture) Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy Doris Soto Senior Fishery Resources Officer (Aquatic Resource Management) Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Rome, Italy J. Richard Arthur FAO Consultant Barriere British Columbia, Canada FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS Rome, 2007 ii The mention or omission of specific companies, their products or brand names does not imply any endorsement or judgement by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 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Applications for such permission should be addressed to: Chief Electronic Publishing Policy and Support Branch Information Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, 00153 Rome, Italy or by e-mail to: [email protected] © FAO 2007 iii Preparation of this document This document contains nine FAO commissioned papers on cage aquaculture including a global overview, one country review for China, and seven regional reviews for Asia (excluding China), northern Europe, the Mediterranean, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, northern America, and Oceania. The content of the papers is based on the broad experience and sound knowledge of the authors with advice and help received from many experts and reviewers around the globe. The papers were presented to a distinguished audience of some 300 participants from over 25 countries during the FAO Special Session on Cage Aquaculture - Regional Reviews and Global Overview at the Asian Fisheries (AFS) Society Second International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia (CAA2), held in Hangzhou, P.R. China, from 3 to 8 July 2006. The commissioning of the papers and the presentations at the FAO Special Session were organized by the FAO Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service (FIMA) and financially supported by regular as well as extra-budgetary programme funds, specifically the Japanese Trust Fund Programme Towards Sustainable Aquaculture: Selected Issues and Guidelines and the FishCode Programme of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department. Many colleagues from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department as well as from the FAO sub-regional and regional offices have contributed to this publication with their expertise and time which is gratefully acknowledged. Particular thanks are due to the current AFS President, Dr Chan-Lui Lee, whose initiative and support have made CAA2 a success. The final revisions and inputs for the papers were provided by the editors, M. Halwart, D. Soto and J.R. Arthur. The publishing and distribution of the document were undertaken by FAO, Rome. iv Abstract This document contains nine papers on cage aquaculture including a global overview, one country review for China, and seven regional reviews for Asia (excluding China), northern Europe, the Mediterranean, sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, northern America, and Oceania. The content of the papers is based on the broad experience and sound knowledge of the authors with advice and help received from many experts and reviewers around the globe. The papers were presented to a distinguished audience of some 300 participants from over 25 countries during the FAO Special Session on Cage Aquaculture - Regional Reviews and Global Overview at the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) Second International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia (CAA2), held in Hangzhou, P.R. China, from 3 to 8 July 2006. Each review, by geographic region, informs about the history and origin of cage aquaculture; provides detailed information on the current situation; outlines the major regional issues and challenges; and highlights specific technical, environmental, socio-economic and marketing issues that cage aquaculture faces and/or needs to address in the future. The review recognizes the tremendous importance of cage aquaculture today and its key role for the future growth of the aquaculture sector. The global overview discusses the available data on cage aquaculture received by FAO from member countries; summarizes the information on cultured species, culture systems and culture environments; and explores the way forward for cage aquaculture, which offers especially promising options for multi-trophic integration of current coastal aquaculture systems as well as expansion and further intensification at increasingly offshore sites. Halwart, M.; Soto, D.; Arthur, J.R. (eds.) Cage aquaculture - Regional reviews and global overview. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 498. Rome, FAO. 2007. 240 pp. v Contents Preparation of this document iii Abstract iv Contributors viii Foreword x CAge AquACultuRe: A glObAl OveRview Albert G.J. Tacon and Matthias Halwart 3 Introduction 4 Lack of statistical information 4 Major cultured species, cage culture systems and culture environments 5 Perceived issues and challenges to cage culture development 8 The way forward 10 Concluding remarks 13 Acknowledgements 13 References 14 A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: AsiA (exCluding ChinA) Sena S. De Silva and Michael J. Phillips 21 Introduction 22 Inland cage farming 22 Brackishwater and marine cage farming 26 Country profiles 33 Constraints and challenges to brackishwater and marine cage culture development in Asia 42 The way forward 45 Acknowledgements 46 References 47 A Review OF CAge And Pen AquACultuRe: ChinA Jiaxin Chen, Changtao Guang, Hao Xu, Zhixin Chen, Pao Xu, Xiaomei Yan, Yutang Wang and Jiafu Liu 53 Background 54 History and origin of cage and pen culture in China 54 The current situation 55 Emerging issues in inland cage and pen culture 60 Constraints to marine cage culture 60 The way forward 61 Conclusions and recommendations 64 References 66 vi A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: lAtin AmeRiCA And the CARibbeAn Alejandro Rojas and Silje Wadsworth 73 Introduction 74 Projection for aquaculture development in the region 74 Salmonid production 76 Cage farming systems 88 Other marine species 94 The way forward 96 References 98 A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: nORth AmeRiCA Michael P. Masser and Christopher J. Bridger 105 Background and aim of study 106 History and current status of cage Aquaculture in north America 106 Current situation of cage farming 109 Regional issues 117 The way forward 120 Conclusions and recommendations 122 References 123 A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: nORtheRn euROPe Jon Arne Grøttum and Malcolm Beveridge 129 Background 130 History of cage culture in the region 130 The current situation regarding cage culture in Europe 131 Major regional challenges 138 The way forward 148 Conclusions 153 Acknowledgements 153 References 154 A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: mediteRRAneAn seA Francesco Cardia and Alessandro Lovatelli 159 Background and aim of the study 160 The Mediterranean Sea 160 Reared species 161 Mediterranean cage aquaculture 165 National cage production overview 166 Cage models 180 Main issues 184 The way forward 186 Acknowledgements 186 References and suggested reading 187 vii A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: sub-sAhARAn AFRiCA Patrick Blow and Shivaun Leonard 191 Introduction 192 The current situation 192 The way forward 202 Conclusions 205 Recommendations 206 References 207 A Review OF CAge AquACultuRe: OCeAniA Michael A. Rimmer and Benjamin Ponia 211 Background and aim of study 212 History and origin of cage culture in the region 212 The current situation 213 Major regional / country issues 223 The way forward 228 Conclusions 228 Acknowledgements 229 References 230 Annexes 233 viii Contributors Cage aquaculture: a global overview Albert G.J. Tacon Aquatic Farms Ltd 49-139 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, HI 96744 United States of America Matthias Halwart Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO, Rome 00153, Italy A review of cage aquaculture: Asia (excluding China) Sena S. De Silva Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific P.O. Box 1040, Kesetsart Post Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand Michael J. Phillips Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific P.O. Box 1040, Kesetsart Post Office, Bangkok 10903, Thailand A review of cage and pen aquaculture: China Jiaxin Chen Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao, China Changtao Guang Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Qingdao, China Hao Xu Fishery Machinery and Instrument Research Institute, Shanghai, China Zhixin Chen Fishery Machinery and Instrument Research Institute, Shanghai, China Pao Xu Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute, Wuxi, China Xiaomei Yan Freshwater Fisheries Research Institute, Wuxi, China Yutang Wang National Station of Aquaculture Technical Extension, Beijing, China Jiafu Liu Ningde Large Yellow Croaker Association, Ningde, Fujian Province, China A review of cage aquaculture: Latin America and the Caribbean Alejandro Rojas Aquaculture Resource Management Limitada Traumen 1721, Casilla 166, Puerto Varas, Chile Silje Wadsworth Bluefin Consultancy, N-4310, Hommersåk, Norway ix A review of cage aquaculture: north America Michael P. Masser Department. of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America Christopher J. Bridger Aquaculture Engineering Group Inc. 73A Frederick Street, St. Andrews, New Brunswick, E5B 1Y9, Canada A review of cage aquaculture: northern Europe Jon Arne Grøttum Norwegian Seafood Federation, PB 1214, N-7462 Trondheim, Norway Malcolm Beveridge WorldFish Center, PO Box 1261, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt A review of cage aquaculture: Mediterranean Sea Francesco Cardia Aquaculture Consultant, Via A. Fabretti 8, 00161 Rome, Italy Alessandro Lovatelli Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO, Rome 00153, Italy A review of cage aquaculture: sub-Saharan Africa Patrick Blow Lake Harvest, Box 322, Kariba, Zimbabwe Shivaun Leonard Aquaculture Consultant, 68 Jones Circle, Chocowinity, NC 27817 United States of America A review of cage aquaculture: Oceania Michael A. Rimmer Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries Northern Fisheries Centre, PO Box 5396, Cairns, Queensland, Australia Benjamin Ponia Secretariat for the Pacific Community B.P. D5 98848, Noumea Cedex, New Caledonia x Foreword The cage aquaculture subsector has grown very rapidly during the past 20 years and is presently undergoing rapid changes in response to pressures from globalization and a growing global demand for aquatic products. Recent studies have predicted that fish consumption in developing and developed countries will increase by 57 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Rapid population growth, increasing affluence and urbanization in developing countries are leading to major changes in supply and demand for animal protein, from both livestock and fish. Within aquaculture production systems, there has been a move toward the clustering of existing cages as well as toward the development and use of more intensive cage-farming systems. In particular, the need for suitable sites has resulted in the cage aquaculture subsector accessing and expanding into new untapped open-water culture areas such as lakes, reservoirs, rivers and coastal brackish and marine offshore waters. Within the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the Aquaculture Management and Conservation Service (FIMA) is responsible for all programmes related to development and management of marine, coastal and inland aquaculture and conservation of aquatic ecosystems, including biodiversity. The Service provides information, advice and technical assistance to FAO Members on improved techniques and systems for the culture of fish and other aquatic organisms in fresh, brackish and marine waters, promoting sound, environmentally friendly practices in lakes, rivers and coastal areas, in accordance with modern assessment and management standards and best practices for aquaculture. It ensures cooperation and coordination with other institutions and programmes in and outside FAO, both governmental and non-governmental, concerned with responsible aquaculture. It is within this context that, in 2004, FIMA convened an expert workshop on cage culture in Africa that was held in Entebbe, Uganda, from 20 to 23 October 2004.1 This activity was given a high priority considering the rapidly growing interest in cage culture in the region. Among the background papers that FIMA commissioned for this workshop were an overview of the status, lessons learned and future developments of finfish cage culture in Asia; a review of small-scale aquaculture in Asia; and cage culture experiences from selected countries, all of which were highly appreciated by the African workshop participants as valuable background information to shape their own way forward for developing the cage aquaculture subsector in the region. Given the dynamic nature of the cage aquaculture subsector, the value of national and regional experiences, and ongoing FAO activities on developing National Aquaculture Sector Overviews and a Japanese Trust Fund Project “Towards Sustainable Aquaculture – Selected Issues and Guidelines”, FIMA decided to commission reviews also for the other regions in the world. In 2005, an invitation was received from the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS) to become a partner for the Second International Symposium on Cage Aquaculture in Asia. FIMA welcomed this invitation as a unique opportunity to present the reviews in an international setting and to get feedback on the reviews from the many knowledgeable experts who gathered at this important event. Ultimately, the presentations of the national, regional and global reviews were organized in groups of two or three, bringing together all the participants in plenary before breaking up into parallel symposium sessions (see Annex 1-3). 1 See Halwart, M. and Moehl, J. F., (eds.) 2006. FAO Regional Technical Expert Workshop on Cage Culture in Africa. Entebbe, Uganda, 20–23 October 2004. FAO Fisheries Proceedings No. 6, 113 pp. Rome, FAO.