Development of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture in the Bay of Fundy, Canada: A socio-economic case study.

While there are different definitions of sustainability, there is consensus that the concept includes socioeconomic variables as well as environmental integrity. For aquaculture to be sustainable there must be economic viability. The species cultivated must be profitable and not too risky. Without these two conditions entrepreneurs will have no incentive to invest, or will need permanent subsidies if they are to remain in the industry. In addition, there must be social acceptance of the industry. In a keynote address to the Millennium Conference on aquaculture, it was noted that “technological progress in the next millennium has to go hand-in-hand with social and ethical acceptability” (Pillay 2001). Enough evidence exists from around the world of the deleterious effects on the industry itself when there is social discontent from litigation, theft and vandalism. On the other hand, if there is community support, the aquaculture industry itself can be the primary beneficiary (Katrandis et al. 2003). These socioeconomic determinants complement the further criterion of sustainability; that aquaculture should be environmentally neutral, if not benign. This paper describes a project in the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick that attempts to enhance aquaculture sustainability. The Bay of Fundy is Canada’s second largest area of salmon farming, after British Columbia. At present, Atlantic salmon are raised in cages using monoculture techniques, amid concerns about environmental and socioeconomic sustainability (Auditor General 2004). However, an alternative to monoculture is an integrated technique that cultivates different species on the same site. The project in the Bay of Fundy has three species: kelp, mussels and salmon at the same site, in the expectation that environmental and socioeconomic risks will be reduced because of synergies among the three species. The implications of this project are not confined to New Brunswick or even salmon farming. In Asia, paddy fields are often used to cultivate both rice and fish. In Ecuador, disease has prompted farmers to integrate shrimp with tilapia. In southern Africa, tilapia cultivation is integrated with cash crops such as hogs, bananas or crocodiles. Diversifying into additional crops reduces risks; it may also reduce feed costs and therefore add to farm profitability. To indicate the economic risks facing the salmon farming industry in the Bay of Fundy, the first section of this article illustrates the explosive growth of the industry worldwide. Aquaculture is the world’s fastest growing source of food and mariculture has grown particularly rapidly since the late 1980s. One mariculture species is Atlantic salmon, which is Canada’s principal cultivated species, by value. It is an internationally traded commodity, so expansion in the major producing countries jeopardizes small-scale producers in Canada. The second section suggests how data support a tentative conclusion that integrated aquaculture is sustainable economically. A third section summarizes a survey of social attitudes toward the project in the region. It answers the question of whether or not the public is in favor of integrated aquaculture, and what their concerns are.

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