Aquaculture negatively impacts mangroves
According to the Changing Markets Foundation, not only could “90% of the wild catch currently harvested be consumed directly by humans,” but a halt must be put to intensive aquaculture, which also negatively impacts the well-being of vulnerable coastal communities. Experts from the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDRI) have highlighted the role played by this industry—particularly shrimp farming—in the loss of 35% of the planet’s mangroves, a figure that rises to over 70% in certain regions like Asia.
Shrimp farming and aquaculture in Asia are estimated to have caused the degradation of 17,000 km² of mangrove forests and the loss of their natural habitats. This accounts for virtually the entire area of coastal forest cover worldwide affected by this type of operation (19,000 km²). Together, these two activities are responsible for more than half (52%) of the damage caused.
Finally, industrial aquaculture is accused of disrupting the food chain by harvesting small forage fish, which serve as a vital link for predators such as tuna, salmon, cod, sharks, and whales. “Reduction fisheries—particularly in Asia—are plundering the ocean for juvenile fish and targeting new species that were previously of no commercial interest,” the report’s authors conclude.
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