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Study: Mariculture may be key to combating climate change

2022-01-26T16:34:14.322Z


Aquaculture has a much smaller carbon footprint than food production on land. The sub-branch called mariculture can have even more benefits.


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(CNN Spanish) --

Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a crucial and urgent task in the fight against climate change.

By eating seafood, you could contribute to this battle.

However, those foods have to be produced sustainably... and mariculture may be the key to that, according to a joint study between the University of Adelaide and The Nature Conservancy (TNC).

The study, published this Tuesday, mentions that food production contributes significantly to GHG emissions in the world.

"Direct and indirect GHG emissions (from food production) ... are estimated to represent between 20% and 37% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions annually," says the study entitled 'Climate-Friendly Seafood: The Potential for Emissions Reduction and Carbon Capture in Marine Aquaculture'.

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Aquaculture and mariculture

Due to its high contribution to the emission of polluting gases, there is an opportunity to reduce emissions in the food sector, in which we can find the production of food of marine origin.

One way to produce seafood is aquaculture, which "produces 52% of the aquatic animal products consumed" in the world, the study indicates.

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Aquaculture is the "production of aquatic animals and plants in both freshwater and saltwater," Robert Jones, a TNC scientist and one of the study's authors, told CNN in an email.

Of the total production of aquaculture, mariculture "generates 37.5% of this production and 97% of the world's algae harvest", so it is a trend that is growing more and more, says the study.

Jones noted that mariculture is a subtype of aquaculture and refers to production specifically in the ocean.

Benefits of responsible and well-done mariculture

Marine and freshwater aquaculture generates about 245 metric tons of CO2e (CO2 equivalent, which is a measure to represent all polluting gases) per year, which is much less than the up to 6.6 billion metric tons of CO2e per year of terrestrial agriculture (agriculture and livestock combined), says the study.

Therefore, one way to help the environment would be to opt more for aquaculture, specifically for marine (mariculture) in three categories: production of seaweed, bivalves and fed finfish, the research indicates.

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algae and bivalves

The study documents that algae in natural environments play an important role in capturing carbon, so their cultivation in the high seas can help store these gases.

This crop has to be without alterations to the environment, which can also lead to a greater volume of biomass.

Likewise, the production of bivalves near the coast can have indirect benefits for the algae.

The bivalves improve the quality of the water and stabilize the sediments, ideal conditions for the cultivation of algae in these waters.

In addition, thanks to their ability to capture carbon, algae help reduce CO2 emissions that come from the formation of bivalve shells, the research indicates.

The bivalves and algae cultivated by mariculture, the study adds, can give way to food;

and algae can also be used to produce biofuel, to feed terrestrial livestock (significantly reduces methane emissions), or to generate biochar (which benefits soils from inland agriculture).

fin fish

Furthermore, research showing that locating mariculture fish farm pens away from habitats that capture carbon can help reduce greenhouse gases.

Some of these habitats are algae growth sites or coastlines.

If pens cannot be located away from habitats, the study mentions that they need to be rotated periodically and rested, which can lessen the negative impact on carbon sequestration by algae.

Along with this, farms must be guarded and monitored with technology that allows finfish food to be rationed for less waste.

The feeding of the fish in the pens, as well as the rearing of the fish in the early stages (before their arrival in the pens), has to be done in "hatcheries or processing establishments near the farms," ​​the study emphasizes.

In addition, it must be ensured that the food comes from suppliers that respect the environment;

that is, for example, that they have practices to optimize the quantities of food and that they do not contribute to deforestation.

A rich diet for the planet

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Most people enjoy a seafood meal.

There is nothing like a good grilled tuna, cocktail shrimp or clams on a Sunday afternoon.

This diet is rich in nutrients for you and also for the planet.

"Studies like this show that mariculture can have less of an impact on the environment than its terrestrial counterparts, which means that diversifying the diet to include more foods raised in the sea can be good for the planet. Seafood produced using (responsible) aquaculture can be an important component of the sustainable diet of the future," Jones told CNN.

Although the study indicates that it focuses on the production phase in maritime farms and not so much on pre-production and post-production, the benefit that we can achieve in reducing polluting gases if we opt for responsible mariculture is scientifically demonstrated.

"It is unrealistic (and unnecessary) to have zero terrestrial agriculture, but we have to work to balance the food system and strive for food production that works in harmony with nature, not against it," the TNC scientist said.

In summary, Jones stressed that two essential steps for responsible aquaculture are the following:

  • Ensuring farms operate in harmony with local ecosystems

  • That operations use resources efficiently to ensure a responsible carbon footprint

"Diversifying your diet is key. In Western diets we rely heavily on certain foods and crops, and we need to broaden our palates and try new foods to reduce over-reliance on certain crops and foods; it's often wise to seek out local produce to reduce the carbon footprint of your diet. Buy directly from farms or local growers and ask about their sustainable practices," added Jones.

aquacultureClimate changeFoodmariculture

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2022-01-26

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