Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems: A solution for sustainability

Marine aquaculture is increasingly seen as an alternative to fi shing to provide a growing human population with high-quality protein. Capture fi sheries output is falling short of world demand, and annual consumption of seafood has been rising and doubled over the last three decades (FAO, 2000). Aquaculture production has surpassed supplies from capture fi sheries and contributed around 51% to global fi sh production in 2014. Over the past three decades aquaculture production increased from 6.2 million tonnes in 1983 to 73.8 million tonnes in 2014 (FAO, 2016). This achievement was possible mainly because of the commercialisation of farm produced aquatic animals such as shrimp, salmon, bivalves, tilapia and catfi sh. With the diminishing availability of freshwater, the expected growth of aquaculture may increasingly take place in the marine environment. The rapid growth of the aquaculture industry has already led to growing concerns over environmental impacts and confl icts with other coastal usage in Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia.