Secretariat CBD Technical Series No. of the Convention on Biological Diversity ALSO AVAILABLE Issue 1: Review of The Efficiency and Efficacy of Existing Legal Instruments Applicable to Invasive Alien Species Issue 2: Assessment and Management of Alien Species that Threaten Ecosystems, Habitats SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE MARICULTURE - and Species AVOIDING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MARICULTURE Issue 3: Assessment Conservation and Sustainable Use of Forest Biodiversity ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Issue 4: The Value of Forest Ecosystems Issue 5: Impacts of Human-Caused Fires on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning, and Their Causes in Tropical, Temperate and Boreal Forest Biomes Issue 6: Sustainable Management of Non-Timber Forest Resources Issue 7: Review of the Status and Trends of, and Major Threats to, Forest Biological Diversity Issue 8: Status and trends of, and threats to, mountain biodiversity, marine, coastal and inland water ecosystems: abstracts of poster presentations at the eighth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice of the 12 Convention on Biological Diversity Issue 9: Facilitating Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity Abstracts of poster presentations on protected areas and technology transfer and cooperation at the ninth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice Issue 10: Interlinkages between Biological Diversity and Climate Change Advice on the integration of biodiversity considerations into the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol Issue 11: Status and Trends of Biodiversity of Inland Water Ecosystems SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE MARICULTURE - AVOIDING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MARICULTURE ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY Report of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Mariculture January 2004 Solutions for sustainable mariculture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity Published by the Secretariat of the Convention on Citation Biological Diversity. ISBN: 92-807-2406-1 Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Copyright (c) 2004, Secretariat of the Convention Diversity (2004) Solutions for sustainable maricul- on Biological Diversity ture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity (CBD Technical Series no. 12). The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological For further information, please contact: Diversity concerning the legal status of any coun- Secretariat of the Convention try, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or on Biological Diversity concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or World Trade Centre boundaries. 393 St. Jacques Street, suite 300 Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1N9 The views reported in this publication do not nec- Phone: 1 (514) 288 2220 essarily represent those of the Convention on Fax: 1 (514) 288 6588 Biological Diversity nor those of the reviewers. This E-mail: [email protected] publication may be reproduced for educational or Website: http://www.biodiv.org non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holders, provided acknowledge- ment of the source is made. The Secretariat of the Convention would appreciate receiving a copy of any publications that uses this document as a source. Layout and printing: COMMUNICATIONS CDG Photo credits: Woman: R.J.ROSS/PETER ARNOLD/ALPHA PRESSE Shrimp and fish farm: C.RUOSO/BIOS/ALPHA PRESSE Fish farm: UNEP/ALPHA PRESSE Salmon fish farm: J.P. SYLVESTRE/BIOS/ALPHA PRESSE 2 Solutions for sustainable mariculture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity FOREWORD The programme of work on marine and coastal depletion of natural seedstock, transmission of dis- biodiversity aims to assist the implementation of eases, and reduction of genetic variability. To solve the Jakarta Mandate at the national, regional and these problems information is needed to improve global level. It identifies operational objectives and its sustainability. In particular, we need to better priority activities within the five key programme understand possible interactions between aquacul- elements, namely: implementation of integrated ture and natural environments to minimize the marine and coastal area management, marine and potential for habitat degradation, introduction of coastal living resources, marine and coastal protect- invasive alien species, etc. ed areas, mariculture and alien species and geno- types. The objective of this document is to provide a basis for understanding the effects of mariculture on Mariculture - the production of marine organisms marine and coastal biological diversity. The present for food - represents an opportunity to provide a report is a result of a forum in which researchers sustainable supplement to the marine capture fish- reviewed the scientific knowledge base for the ery. Mariculture has a relatively long history; for development of a sustainable mariculture. It is my example, oyster culture was known to the Romans. hope that this report is a contribution to develop By contrast, modern, intensive mariculture is only greater depth in domestic research, as well as to approximately 30 years old, producing a steadily building connections between the researchers. increasing proportion of the world’s seafood during this period. Aquaculture production currently This report is being widely distributed to reach out exceeds freshwater capture by a factor of more than to public sectors, research centres and to other three and makes up almost half of the marine cap- interested parties. I am confident that the lessons ture fisheries. Moreover, aquaculture production learned from these efforts will provide valuable has more than doubled over the last ten years and input as the Convention continues to promote and this trend is continuing whilst traditional fishing facilitate achievement of the target of significantly production is declining as a result of overexploita- reducing the current rate of biodiversity loss by the tion. But aquaculture, both in inland waters and year 2010. marine and coastal areas, has problems, including habitat degradation, disruption of trophic systems, I thank all of those individuals and institutions who have contributed to the preparation of this techni- cal report. Hamdallah Zedan 3 Solutions for sustainable mariculture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity Acknowledgements The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity wishes to acknowledge with appreciation the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for the technical support and meeting facilities provided for the meeting of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Mariculture. The Secretariat would also like to express its gratitude to the members of the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Mariculture for devel- oping this document; to Ms. Stella Williams of Nigeria and Mr. Phillippe Goulletquer of France for chairing the meeting of the expert group; and to the observers and resource personnel for their invaluable contributions. Finally, the Secretariat would like to thank the World Fisheries Trust for preparing the background document for the meet- ing of the expert group. 4 Solutions for sustainable mariculture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity LIST OF AUTHORS This document was produced by the Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on Marine and Coastal Protected Areas. The expert group members, includ- ing observers are (in alphabetical order): Mr. A.K. Armah (Ghana) Ms. Daisy C. Arroyo Mora (Costa Rica) Mr. Uwe Barg (FAO) Mr. Devin Bartley (FAO) Mr. Stefano Cataudella (Italy) Mr. S.U.K Ekaratne (Sri Lanka) Ms. Vlasta Franicevic^ ´ (Croatia) Mr. Phillippe Goulletquer (France - Co-chair) Mr. Alessandro Lovatelli (FAO) Mr. Terry McMahon (OSPAR Commission) Mr. Manal Nader (Lebanon) Mr. Fabian Pina Amargos (Cuba) Ms. Shyama Rathacharen (Mauritius) Mr. Arturas Razinkovas (Lithuania) Mr. Tetsuo Seki (Japan) Mr. Mohamed Shariff (Malaysia) Ms. Doris Soto (Chile) Mr. Uwe Waller (Germany) Ms. Stella Williams (Nigeria - Co-chair) Ms. Fatimah Md.Yusoff (Universiti Putra Malaysia) Mr. Serguei Zagranitchnyi (Russia) The following also contributed considerably to this document: Mr. David Coates (CBD Secretariat) Ms. Beatriz Gomez-Castro (CBD Secretariat) Mr. Kalemani Jo Mulongoy (CBD Secretariat) Ms. Marjo Vierros (CBD Secretariat) 5 Solutions for sustainable mariculture - avoiding the adverse effects of mariculture on biological diversity EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Ad Hoc Technical Expert Group on all forms of mariculture affect biodiversity at the Mariculture was established by the Conference of genetic, species and ecosystem level, but that under the Parties in adopting the programme of work on certain circumstances mariculture could also marine and coastal biological diversity at its fourth enhance biodiversity locally (Chapter 4). The main meeting (decision IV/5, annex). The Expert Group effects include habitat degradation, disruption of was established to assist the Subsidiary Body on trophic systems, depletion of natural seedstock, Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice transmission of diseases, and reduction of genetic (SBSTTA) in its work on the topic of mariculture. variability. The biodiversity-effects of pollutants- The terms of reference instructed the Expert Group such as