Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Aquaculture & Fisheries

As a result of the concern and debate about the impacts of intensive aquaculture development on biodiversity, semi-intensive aquaculture is being considered as an alternative. Although the biophysical impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity have been examined, there is only limited understanding of the social and economic impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity, and especially the impacts of the shift from intensive to semi-intensive systems. The purposes of this article are twofold: (1) to identify and discuss the social and economic impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity, and (2) to examine the impacts while moving from intensive to semi-intensive systems. After discussing the findings of our study, we provide some recommendations as to how to minimize social and economic impacts of aquaculture on biodiversity by moving to a lower intensity aquaculture system. The integrated agriculture-aquaculture farming systems, stakeholder involvement in management, and well-defined basic rights are aquaculture systems that contribute to conservation of biodiversity.

NOP 15-350 (English)