Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Closing a nutrient loop in aquaculture

Aquaculture results in small, but growing and locally significant emissions of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) to the Baltic Sea, contributing to eutrophication. Aquaculture is estimated to contribute <5 percent of total nutrient emissions to the Baltic, but the local impact can be considerable in areas of intensive aquaculture.

Technical measures to reduce nutrient emissions from fish farms are difficult, but the authors suggest that significant local reductions in eutrophication could be achieved by replacing externally-sourced fishmeal used in diets by fishmeal produced by harvesting fish (non commercial catch species) locally around the aquaculture discharge. This would contribute to closing the nutrient loop.

Eutrophication is recognised as a major environmental problem in the Baltic Sea, with the central areas of the Sea being generally nitrogen limited and coastal areas generally phosphorus limited. Read more ...

This blog is written by Martin Little, The Aquaculturists, published and supported by the International Aquafeed Magazine from Perendale Publishers
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