Tuna.org

The constant increase in consumer demand for seafood and the simultaneous depletion of many stocks of wild fish, aquaculture, or fish farming, is now used to produce nearly half of world seafood. 1 In fact, aquaculture is currently the most dynamic sector of world food production, as wild fisheries continue to be overexploited and mismanaged aquaculture production is expected to double by 2050.2

Unfortunately, the industrialization of aquaculture has led to many problems the same environment and human health is currently generated by industrial livestock farming. As in the case of factory farming, most of the harmful effects of industrial aquaculture arise from the concentration of a large number of animals in small establishments. In addition to pollute aquatic ecosystems with the huge volume of waste produced by fish that they limit the aquaculture environment and threaten human health by releasing harmful substances such as pesticides, antibiotics and other drugs in the aquatic environment. industrial aquaculture operations may also affect natural populations of fish by introduced diseases and alien species in the ocean.

Pollutants from aquaculture facilities

Open water installations of industrial aquaculture fish generally shut up in cages or net pens, which allow fish waste, leftover food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and other pollutants pass directly into the surrounding water.

Fish feces.
As in the case of manure, when large amounts of fish feces from an aquatic ecosystem, the nutrient levels in the water increase. As described in section environmental impacts, the influx of excess nutrients causes algae growth and can eventually lead to eutrophication and reduction of aquatic biodiversity.3

Uneaten feed
The constant release of uneaten food causes similar problems when food accumulates on the bottom, he is finally decomposed by bacteria which consume oxygen dissolved in water and can create hypoxic "dead zones "below aquaculture facilities.4 The environmental damage caused by fish feces and uneaten food is particularly severe in the enclosed waters with low exchange rate of water (eg lakes, slow rivers, and shallow bays).

Pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
To try to prevent diseases and epidemics of pests, the aquaculture industry uses large quantities of drugs, pesticides and other chemicals. Although impacts on human health and the environment in several of these substances are not well understood, their use is unregulated, the reporting requirements are insufficient, and federal government oversight is inadequate.5 While some products chemicals threaten the health of consumers leaving harmful residues in fish, drugs and pesticides can also cause havoc on the environment since many are toxic to aquatic plants and animals.6, 7 For more information, read Food & Water Watch's detailed analysis,

Misuse of antibiotics
When thousands of fish are confined in a small space, it is easy for disease to spread rapidly. Often, the aquaculture industry to solve this problem by using the same antibiotics that irresponsible practices of factory farming operations, rather than reducing the density of fish, fish continuously administering subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics. This promotes the proliferation of antibiotic resistant bacteria that can infect humans.8 The problem is exacerbated by the cages and net pens to antibiotics and antibiotic resistant bacteria to pass freely into the surrounding waters.

Escapees and biodiversity
Aquaculture facilities also threaten.