Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

SS34 Impacts of Aquaculture and Mariculture

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001, Time: 10:00:00 AM

Location: Sandia/Santa Ana

Fieler, R, , Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, Tromsø, Norway, reinhold.fieler@akvaplan.niva.no

Velvin, R, , Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, Tromsø, Norway, roger.velvin@akvaplan.niva-no

Guneriussen, A, , Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, Tromsø, Norway, asle@akvaplan.niva.no

Hjelset, A, M, Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, Tromsø, Norway,

Carroll, M, L, Akvaplan-niva, Polar Environmental Center, Tromsø, Norway, michael.carroll@akvaplan.niva.no

White, P, A, Akvaplan-niva, Athens, Greece, pwhite@hol.gr

IMPACTS OF SALMON FARMING ON THE AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT IN NORWAY: ORGANIC ENRICHMENT OF SEDIMENTS

Data from 168 environmental survey samples located various distances from Norwegian salmon cage farms collected between 1996 and 1998 were analyzed to determine the relationship between environmental variables and management regimes. From all measured environmental variables, total organic content (TOC) of sediment, grain size distribution, depth at the site and local currents were selected for the analysis. The selected management data were feed consumption over the previous year, number of years over which the farms have been operating, and allowance for recovery of sites by abandonment or fallowing. Approximately 32% of the samples showed significant degradation immediately under the cages. At intermediate distances (50-100m), influences from fish farming are not clearly detected by TOC analysis. Furthermore, neither depth nor current speed alone are good predictors for environmental management. The study suggests that recovery of sites by periodic abandonment is one of the best management tool for sustainable fish farming. Based on this experience, a program for environmental management and monitoring of cage farms has been developed for northern waters, and is currently being expanded and modified for non-salmonid cage farms in the oligotrophic eastern Mediterranean.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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