Solutions for sustainable mariculture - Convention on Biological ...

<strong>Solutions</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>mariculture</strong> - avoiding the adverse effects of <strong>mariculture</strong> on biological diversityFOREWORDThe programme of work on marine and coastalbiodiversity aims to assist the implementation ofthe Jakarta Mandate at the national, regional andglobal level. It identifies operational objectives andpriority activities within the five key programmeelements, namely: implementation of integratedmarine and coastal area management, marine andcoastal living resources, marine and coastal protectedareas, <strong>mariculture</strong> and alien species and genotypes.Mariculture - the production of marine organisms<strong>for</strong> food - represents an opportunity to provide a<strong>sustainable</strong> supplement to the marine capture fishery.Mariculture has a relatively long history; <strong>for</strong>example, oyster culture was known to the Romans.By contrast, modern, intensive <strong>mariculture</strong> is onlyapproximately 30 years old, producing a steadilyincreasing proportion of the world’s seafood duringthis period. Aquaculture production currentlyexceeds freshwater capture by a factor of more thanthree and makes up almost half of the marine capturefisheries. Moreover, aquaculture productionhas more than doubled over the last ten years andthis trend is continuing whilst traditional fishingproduction is declining as a result of overexploitation.But aquaculture, both in inland waters andmarine and coastal areas, has problems, includinghabitat degradation, disruption of trophic systems,depletion of natural seedstock, transmission of diseases,and reduction of genetic variability. To solvethese problems in<strong>for</strong>mation is needed to improveits sustainability. In particular, we need to betterunderstand possible interactions between aquacultureand natural environments to minimize thepotential <strong>for</strong> habitat degradation, introduction ofinvasive alien species, etc.The objective of this document is to provide a basis<strong>for</strong> understanding the effects of <strong>mariculture</strong> onmarine and coastal biological diversity. The presentreport is a result of a <strong>for</strong>um in which researchersreviewed the scientific knowledge base <strong>for</strong> thedevelopment of a <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>mariculture</strong>. It is myhope that this report is a contribution to developgreater depth in domestic research, as well as tobuilding connections between the researchers.This report is being widely distributed to reach outto public sectors, research centres and to otherinterested parties. I am confident that the lessonslearned from these ef<strong>for</strong>ts will provide valuableinput as the <strong>Convention</strong> continues to promote andfacilitate achievement of the target of significantlyreducing the current rate of biodiversity loss by theyear 2010.I thank all of those individuals and institutions whohave contributed to the preparation of this technicalreport.Hamdallah Zedan3