How Effective is Ecosystem Based Management for Coastal

Water Quality in Aquaculture of Marine Finfish?

POLICY REVIEW & ANALYSIS
POLICY REVIEW
Aquaculture is the large-scale cultivation of organisms in a marine
environment that is closely related to land based agricultural practices.
Aquatic organisms such as finfish, mollusks, and plants are the most
commonly used in aquaculture. These Aquaculture farms take
advantage of controlled conditions to harvest and breed large amounts
of a specific organism, which are then sold, or used, to improve the
health and sustainability of endangered marine ecosystem. Problems
arise in the form of water quality and regulation of all forms of impact,
whether environmental, financial, etc. As the human population
increases, the need for finfish directly parallels, and as the increased
need of finfish increases, the need of aquacultures increase. The goal
is to create an all around sustainable aquaculture. The full effect of
aquaculture farms is unknown, but there are many systems that have
been used in which they are addressed.
There are multiple ways in which an ecosystem based management
for coastal water quality in aquaculture of marine finfish can be
implemented. Ecosystem based management is being put into practice
in different ways, and in different places and across multiple different
scales. Normally combining and improving management practices that
is currently in place. The intent of this review is to look at a variety of
different practices of marine and coastal EBM for coastal water quality
in aquaculture of marine finfish (Tundi et al. 2011).
A. Ecosystem Based Management
Ecosystem Based Management is an environmental management
approach, which recognizes the full variety of interactions within an
ecological system, it goes beyond individual issues. (Christensen et
al. 1996, McLeod et al. 2005). Ecosystem based managements
recognizes ecological systems for what they are, which is a mix of
elements which interact with one another in important ways, which is
important for oceans and coasts (Tundi et al. 2011).
Goals of Ecosystem based Management include science based,
or science-designed, objectives as well as social and cultural
importance. Overall, Ecosystem based Management goals are
integrative, includes the structure, the organization, and the
processes of the management of a certain area (Slocombe, 1998).
These goals are applicable on a broad spectrum, measurable, readily
observable, and would ideally be collectively supported in order to be
achievable. It should provide direction for both action, and thinking
and minimizes managing ecosystems in a static state. But the goals

must also be flexible, so incorporation of a certain level of

uncertainty, and allow evolution as knowledge and conditions
change. Accurate ecosystem based management is based on goals
that are substantive, explaining the importance of protecting an area,
as well as procedural, the way in which substantive goals are going to
be met. Some of the steps of an ecosystem based management can
include, scoping, defining indicators, setting thresholds, risk analysis,
and monitoring (Tallis et al.,2010).
B. Global Guidelines/Policies
Article 9 UN Food and Agricultural Organization Code of Conduct
for Responsible Fisheries (1995) has many requirements for
agricultural operations. These requirements include the insurance of
ecological sustainability, prevention of negative affects on fishing
communities, minimize the adverse ecological changes through
appropriate environmental assessment or monitoring, minimize
harmful effects of non-native/GM species, minimize the risks of
disease to wild stocks, and to minimize the use of therapeutants,
hormones, drugs, and antibiotics. Agricultural Operations must also
promote appropriate feeds, fertilizers, and additives, must have
regulation on the use of harmful chemicals, and requires wastes to
not harm human, or environmental, health (Eichenberg).
C. National Guidelines/Policies- What does NOAA require?
First of all, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) has defined aquacultures as the propagation and raising of
aquatic organisms for any recreational, public, or commercial
purpose. This covers productions of finfish, plants, algae, finfish, and
other marine organisms for (1) wild stock restock for recreational and
commercial fisheries; (2) restoration and conservation of marine and
Great Lakes habitat; (3) food as well as other commercial products;
and (4) regrowth of populations that are threatened or endangered
species under conservation and recovery plans (NOAA, 2011).
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had
developed a policy which enables the development of marine
aquaculture with a numerous amount of goals, which present the idea
that aquaculture is a key part of having a healthy coastal and marine
ecosystem. NOAAs goals and requirements include protection of
certain marine areas, to rebuild wild stock that has been overfished,
provide the coastal communities jobs that will produce sustainable
food, and to protect and restore populations of endangered species.
Second, to ensure that aquaculture decisions the agency makes will
protect wild species and healthy, resilient, and productive ocean and
coastal ecosystems. This includes the protection of sensitive marine
areas. Third, want to further advance scientific knowledge that
concerns sustainable aquaculture in cooperation with federal and

academic partners. Fourth, to create a unbiased and timely

aquaculture management decision that is based on the best scientific
information available. Fifth, NOAA wants to support aquaculture
innovation and investments that will benefit the Nations coastal
ecosystems,
seafood
consumers,
industry,
economy
and
communities. Sixth, NOAA will further the advancement of public
understanding of sustainable aquaculture practices. Seventh, NOAA
will continue to work with federal partners (through the Joint
Subcommittee on Aquaculture) as well as other routes, in order to
give depth of resource and expertise that will be needed to address
the challenges that face expansion of aquaculture in the United
States of America. Next, NOAA will internationally work to learn from
the best aquaculture practices around the world. Last, they will
integrate federal, regional, local, state, and tribal priorities (including
commercial priorities) into marine aquaculture management to
ensure aquaculture development is considered in existing marine
uses to reduce potential conflicts (NOAA, 2011).
NOAAs marine responsibilities to protect and restore coastal and
oceanic ecosystems will be met when the development of ecosystem
bases measure for sustainability in aquaculture farms of finfish. NOAA
collaborates with federal partners, coastal communities, states, tribes,
non-governmental organizations, the aquaculture industry and well as
other stake holders in order to create innovate aquaculture
technologies from laboratory studies and convert them into
commercial and restoration projects. They then document and assess
impacts on the environment, socioeconomic level and the ecosystem.
NOAA develops collaboration among fishery management, financial
assistance, Coastal Zone Management, National Marine Sanctuaries,
and National Sea Grant Programs in order to rebuild wild dish stocks
and support economic options for fishermen (NOAA, 2011).
ANALYSIS
Sustainability is the highlighted focus that appears in each policy.
These ecosystems that are failing need aquaculture farms of finfish to
keep the system at balance. There are may ways in which an
ecosystem based management for coastal water quality in aquaculture
of marine finfish can be implemented. These systems take into
consideration economic, coastal and marine ecosystems, water quality,
current aquaculture, etc., as well as local regulations before they are
implemented. Goals from the EBM, FOA, and NOAA are currently
working on creating plans that take into consideration regulations and
all. With all these groups working together to create sustainable
ecosystem based management for coastal water quality in aquaculture
of marine finfish. As the human population increases, the need for
finfish directly parallels, and as the increased need of finfish increases,

the need of aquacultures increase. The goal is to create an all around

sustainable aquaculture.

Works Cited
Christensen, N. L., A. Bartuska, J. H. Brown, S. Carpenter, C. D'Antonio,
R. Francis, J. F. Franklin, J. A. MacMahon, R. F. Noss, D. J. Parsons, C. H.
Peterson, M. G. Turner, and R. G. Moodmansee. 1996. The report of the
Ecological Society of America Committee on the scientific basis for
ecosystem management. Ecological Applications. 6:665-691.
Eichenberg, Tim. Marine Finfish Aquaculture: Is Sustainable Regulation
Attainable? The Ocean Conservancy.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2011. MARINE
AQUACULTURE POLICY
Slocombe, D.S. 1998. Defining goals and criteria for ecosystem-based
management. Environmental Management. 22:483-493.
Tallis, H., Levin, P.S., Ruckelshaus, M., Lester, S.E., McLeod, K.L.,
Fluharty, D.L. and Halpern, B.S. 2010. The many faces of ecosystembased management: Making the process work today in real places.
Marine Policy. 34:340-348.
Tundi Agardy, John Davis, Kristin Sherwood, Ole Vestergaard. 2011.
Taking Steps toward Marine and Coastal Ecosystem-Based
Management. UNEP Regional Seas Reports and Studies No. 189.