Unsustainable aquaculture methods are causing problems affecting more than just the lives of fish. Coastal communities and ecosystems as well as the health of ocean environments and water quality are threatened and destroyed due to unsustainable practices. Fish are exposed to parasites and infection, which flow beyond the enclosure and affect wildlife. Fecal and food waste contaminate marine environments and cause problems like eutrophication, depleting oxygen and killing life. Escaped fish pose a threat to wild populations, bringing disease wherever they swim, competing for food resources and displacing wild fish. Wetland and mangrove ecosystems on the coast are decimated to make room for fish farms to be built, removing a crucial nursery ecosystem for many species as well as depriving local communities of the resources that the environment offers. This fast growing industry is an attraction for large wealthy corporations, looking to make money quickly and easily, which pushes out any group which cannot compete financially and causes small scale fisheries and fishermen to suffer in their business, unable to profit as they used to.

Global problems are daunting tasks to take on, seeming impossible to alter at the individual level. Although one person’s actions cannot solve the problem on their own, individual action can insight change in others, spreading awareness, behavioral and habitual change and slowly making an impact. Bringing individuals together to form a group of people committed to a common goal is a step in a positive direction. People with an open mind and compassionate qualities often commit to goals and encourage positive action. Making a difference on a large scale is a group effort, but starting in the home is a great way to start. Things like food choices, water and energy usage, buying products that may not be necessary and being conscious of waste are ways to live more sustainably.¹

Looking back to the systems thinking diagram, shown in the essay Applying Systems Thinking to Unsustainable Aquaculture, several solutions to make aquaculture more sustainable were shown. Alternative food sources, carrying capacity of enclosures and policies were some of the solutions posed in the diagram.

Alternate food sources are a possible solution which could positively impact ocean pollution as well as the problem of fishing wild stock to feed farmed fish. Using fish meal and fish oil to feed farmed fish is not a source of food which is capable of sustaining the growth of the aquaculture industry. Alternate food sources could come from plant based products. Soy products are easy to digest and offer a source of protein, omega-3 and other nutrients. Fish oil, which is a very inexpensive source of omega-3 fatty acids is looking to an alternate source of canola oil.² These options to alternate food sources for farmed fish would let up on some of the stress on the declining population of wild fish and, in turn, help to relieve pressure on the other things relying on wild populations.

Additional alternate food sources include algae, which has shown to improve the overall health of fish, scale color and resistance to diseases. Algae is a food source best suited for young fish. A barrier when looking at algae as a food source is that it is more expensive than fish meal, so it may cause companies to take the cheaper route, even though algae offers many health benefits for fish.² The production of herbivore fish is an option when considering feed. Fish like tilapia and catfish can be raised on plant based diets.³ 

Insect proteins are also an additional source. The use of insects as feed is a slowly growing product being adopted by farms. The use of insects is a natural source of protein, just as many wild fish eat marine insects as a part of their natural diet. Many species of insect show potential for being used as food. The production and usage of insects has shown to be an improvement economically, in place of fish meal.² 

Being aware of carrying capacity limits in aquaculture is beneficial to not only the fish, but their environment. The tightly packed enclosures subject fish to disease and parasites, which could be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the fish. Decreasing fish density would remove the breeding ground for parasites and disease. A barrier with this approach, facing stakeholders, would be the decrease in product yield. Companies want to provide a product to consumer demand and if all the product that is needed is not there then the company may see decreases in income. On the other hand, a healthier, higher quality fish may be sold at a higher price and consumers may not want, or be able to spend the extra money.

Looking at policies, companies may find it more beneficial economically to do the easy thing rather than the clean and healthy thing. Implementing policies that incentivize sustainable practices would not only change the methods of unsustainable farms, but reward sustainable farms for good practices.

Although these solutions would improve sustainability in aquaculture, the hand of individuals is not able to reach directly into the problem. Taking part in the move to sustainable aquaculture, on an individual level, can start with the following.

Tools for Action

1. Eat sustainable species of fish: When buying fish, educating oneself and being aware of which species are sustainable and which are not is a way to make one’s own food choices more sustainable. This could result in trying something new, which is just as good or even better than fish previously bought. The Good Fish Guide on the The Marine Conservation Society website provides information on 140 species and puts the fish in a range of 1, being the most sustainable, to 5, being the least.⁴ Additionally, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch has resources to help make environmentally friendly seafood choices with their Search Seafood Recommendations tool, also available to download as a phone app.

2. Buy locally and seasonally: Buying locally is a way to, not only reduce the carbon footprint of the food, but support local businesses. Supporting local businesses opens up the opportunity to become familiar with the people instead of being another consumer of a produced product. Building local relationships allows for conversation between the buyer and the fishmonger about additional information that the consumer may want to know about, types of fish to buy, what’s in season and the way in which the fish are sourced. Look at Local Catch to find local fisheries.

3. Look for the blue MSC label: When looking to buy seafood look for the blue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) label to ensure that the product is certified sustainable. The MSC label indicated that the food is “Wild, traceable, sustainable: the blue fish label is only applied to wild fish or seafood from fisheries that have been certified to the MSC Fisheries Standard, a science-based set of requirements for sustainable fishing.” ⁵ 

4. Implement vegetarian or vegan eating habits: Reducing the amount of fish consumed is another way to take individual action. Implementing vegetarian or vegan habits occasionally is a way to reduce personal impact. Looking at fish and seafood as a special food and eating it on a more infrequent basis, reduces personal impact, but also does not demand that one gives up the food completely. Perhaps making fish more of a periodical meal will make the people who enjoy it, appreciate it more, and the people who don’t may realise they don’t want it as much as they thought. 

5. Buy organic fish: For those that want to eat fish, buying organic is a way to support methods of significantly less pollution in fish farms. Although organically farmed fish does not mean zero impact on the environment, it is much better than other methods of farming fish. Organically farmed fish puts out substantially less chemicals and waste, as well as utilising organic feed and plants instead of wild caught fish for fish meal and fish oil. Organic fish is sold for a higher price, which may be a deterrent, but remember that the extra dollars spent are going toward the production of an organic and less harmful product to the environment.⁶

By educating and opening oneself up to change and improvement, these tools and actions can help the individual to take action and make more beneficial decisions for the sustainability of their diet as well as the health of the environment and the unsustainable aquaculture problem. By sharing the tools with others the acknowledgement of the problem spreads and becomes more apparent to the public. If no one is informed that there is an issue, then no solutions will be offered, but sharing tools for individual action gives people the chance to become informed and make a change.

Bibliography

¹ Niesenbaum, Richard A. Sustainable Solutions: Problem Solving for Current and Future Generations. Oxford University Press, 2020. 

² Resources, Rubicon. “3 Promising Alternative Feeds for Aquaculture.” Medium, Sustainable Seafood, 7 Mar. 2018, https://medium.com/sustainable-seafood/3-promising-alternative-feeds-for-aquaculture-2742c011e3cc 

³ “Wild Fish in Feed.” SeaChoice, 15 Feb. 2018, www.seachoice.org/info-centre/aquaculture/wild-fish-in-feed/. 

⁴ Helmore, Katharine. “Top 10… Ways to Eat Fish Sustainably.” The Ecologist, 14 Jan. 2011, https://theecologist.org/2011/jan/14/top-10-ways-eat-fish-sustainably. 

⁵ “What Does the MSC Label Mean: Marine Stewardship Council.” What Does the MSC Label Mean | Marine Stewardship Council, www.msc.org/what-we-are-doing/our-approach/what-does-the-blue-msc-label-mean. ⁶ Andrews, Samantha. “Putting the Organic into Aquaculture.” The Fish Site, 22 Apr. 2016, https://thefishsite.com/articles/putting-the-organic-into-aquaculture.