Sustainability

Future perfect

Dawn Purchase of the MCS has set out key challenges for aquaculture

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

The Scottish salmon farming industry is making continuous improvements to reduce its impact on the environment, but challenges remain, according to Dawn Purchase, Aquaculture Programme Manager at the Marine Conservation Society.

In a special paper for the Open Access Government website, she tells her audience that Scotland last year produced just under 214,000 tonnes of salmon, the highest figure so far.

Open Access Government is a digital publication that provides an indepth perspective on key public policy areas from all around the world, including health and social care, research and innovation, technology, blockchain innovation, government, environment and energy.

Open Access Government regularly features a wide range of prestige contributors including government ministers and European Commissioners.

Purchase, who has been with the MCS since 2003, and has since developed the MCS’ own aquaculture programme which covers all aspects of fish farming.

Aquaculture, she says, has been around for 2,000 years, but today accounts for half of all seafood eaten around the world.

“We need to look for species that can deal with the changing climate whilst still providing us with the food we need”

Above: Dawn Purchase Above right: Shellfish are perhaps the most sustainable form of aquaculture ture was another key concern, and one of global significance. Her paper continues: “Many of the farmed fish we eat in the UK is imported, including firm favourites such as warm water prawns, bass, bream and pangasius. “These, as well as salmon, rely on commercial feed, utilising a range of ingredients, including wild fish such as anchovy, sprat, blue whiting, as well as vegetable proteins and oils such as soya and rapeseed oil. “These ‘feed fisheries’ are amongst the largest fisheries in the world, but these species play incredibly important roles in the marine ecosystem, therefore, need to be well managed so as not to impact dependant species such as seabirds, and some can certainly be better managed to achieve this. “There is also increasing concern about the environmental impacts of the terrestrial ingredients used, such as soya.” Perhaps the biggest global challenge is the growth in the human popu-

And in the UK it remains the fastest growing lation, predicted to reach 9.5 billion by 2050. food sector with an average annual increase in Purchase says: “According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of production of 5.3% a per year between 2001- the United Nations (FAO), 33% of the world’s farmland is moderately 2018. Globally in 2018, 114.5 million tonnes of to highly degraded, which, in turn, impedes food security, particularly as aquaculture products, including aquatic animals, much of the remaining land is unsuitable for agriculture. algae and ornamental seashells and pearls, with “Given these constraints on agriculture to fulfil our current and future a farm gate value of US$263.6bn were food needs, we need to look to the oceans to provide us with the produced. protein we need.

Atlantic salmon dominates the UK sector, “Global per capita seafood consumption has been steadily rising from followed by rainbow trout, halibut and shellfish 9.0kg in 1961 to 20.3kg in 2017, with wild capture fisheries at their maxsuch as mussels, oysters, clams and scallops. imum capacity, aquaculture, particularly in the sea, offers the potential to

Purchase writes: “The Scottish salmon farming fulfil the protein needs of a growing population. sector has been making continuous improve- “However, to enable this potential to be fulfilled it is increasingly clear ments to become more efficient and reduce its that it needs to happen in a low carbon, climate-resilient and ecologically impact on the environment. sustainable way.”

“Changes in feed formulations have reduced There are a number of climate-driven challenges that needed to be the reliance on wild capture ingredients, anti- overcome for people to realise the potential of aquaculture, predomibiotic usage has been largely replaced with the nantly ocean acidification, warming waters and increasing storm events, use of vaccines and technical innovations with Purchase suggests. equipment allow for constant feed monitoring, “We need to look for species that can deal with the changing climate reducing waste and benthic impacts. whilst still providing us with the food we need, with the lowest possible

“Despite this progress, there remain a number environmental footprint. Shellfish are a great example. of environmental concerns, as the industry con- “As filter feeders, they don’t require commercial feed and remove tinues to grow – and is not showing any signs of nutrients from the surrounding water, but with a calcium carbonate slowing down – it is important these issues be shell, they also provide a carbon sink. Seaweed farming is also another addressed before the industry expands further.” emerging opportunity for ‘green’ aquaculture. It requires minimum input,

She continues: “The chemicals used to treat can store carbon, and dampens wave energy along our coastlines helping sea lice can have impacts on adjacent crusta- to protect our inshore waters. cean species. Recently wrasse and lumpfish have She concludes: “Aquaculture holds huge potential to not only provide been used to actually eat the lice off the farmed the protein a growing population needs but to do so in a low carbon salmon, but there are concerns about the reli- ecological sustainable way. ance on poorly managed wild stocks of these to “To realise this potential, we need to ensure it works in harmony with fulfil the high demand.” the environment on which it relies and encourage and support innova-

The sustainability of fish feed used in aquacul- tion to ensure blue aquaculture really does have a green future.” FF

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“Our commitment to retain the highest level of opera� onal support contributes to the compe� � ve advantage of our clients”