ASSESSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF FINFISH AQUACULTURE IN MARINE WATERS

The environmental effects of aquaculture manifest themselves on different space and time scales, ranging from internal effects which affect only a single cage or farm site to regional impacts covering an entire body of water. These distinct effects lead to different types of analysis and require different mitigation strategies. Even though complete scientific data on environmental impacts are seldom available, models based on existing scientific theory provide a better basis for regulation of aquaculture than ad hoc guidelines. Several models corresponding to different scales and types of impact are developed and the implications for management are discussed. The emphasis is on marine systems, although the models and analyses can also be adapted to freshwater aquaculture.