Preprint volume - SIBM

Pre-print Volume – Posters
Topic 3: INTEGRATED COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT
A. DE BIASI, L. PIAZZI, L. PACCIARDI, A. VANNUCCI
Centro Interuniversitario di Biologia Marina ed Ecologia Applicata, Viale N. Sauro, 4 – 57128 Livorno, Italia.
a.debiasi@cibm.it
THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDITERRANEAN
AQUACULTURE IN MARINE PROTECTED AREAS
LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE DELL’ACQUICOLTURA
NELLA AREE MARINE PROTETTE
Abstract – The aim of the present paper is to evaluate the sustainability of fish farming activities in relation
to marine protected area. Results of an environmental impact assessment of two farms in islands of a
marine park suggested that small activities may be environmentally acceptable and socially equitable.
Key-words: aquaculture, marine protected areas, sustainability.
Introduction - According to the definition of sustainable development, a sustainable
aquaculture should be environmentally acceptable, economically viable and socially
equitable (Simard et al., 2008). The aim of the present paper is to evaluate if these
requisites are respected when a fish farming takes place in a marine protected area. To
fulfil this aim, macrobenthic communities and Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile
epiphytes were chosen as descriptors to evaluate the possible effects of two different
fish farms under the cages and in the surrounding areas. This paper, part of a
multidisciplinary project, reports only some data as representative examples of the
results of the project.
Materials and methods –The study was carried out in 2009 during the summer period
to investigate two fish farms located in Gorgona and Capraia islands included in the
National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago. The Gorgona farm is constituted by 3 prefattening
suspended cages (130 m 3 ) and 5 REFA TLC 800 (Tension Leg Cage) (4000
m 3 ) and sited on a 16-18 m deep colonised by Posidonia oceanica. The Capraia farm is
constituted by 5 units located on a sandy bottom at 30-32 meter depth. At both study
farms, 5 sites were selected: one under the cages (T), two 300 m distant from the cages
(I=intermediate sites), and further two at 1000 m from them (C=control sites). In each
site two areas were chosen.
In Gorgona, in each area, five haphazardly chosen shoots of P. oceanica were uprooted
and the percentage cover of dominant taxa or morphological groups were estimated in
the first 30 cm from the tip of the two external leaves; moreover, epiphytes were
scratched with a razor blade and their biomass was evaluated as dry weight after 48 h
at 60 °C. In Capraia five sediment samples for benthic community analyses, were
collected, washed through 0.5 mm mesh sieve, sorted and the organisms were counted
and classified to the lowest possible taxonomic level.
Results – In Gorgona, biomass values of P. oceanica epiphytes were very high under
the fish farm, but in intermediate areas were similar to those of controls. In particular,
Dictyotales significantly increased in cover in the impacted meadow (Fig. 1). In
Capraia a total of 3726 organisms belonging to 143 species were found. The highest
41 st S.I.B.M. CONGRESS Rapallo (GE), 7-11 June 2010
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