Lessons for Aquaculture from Agriculture

102 Pages·2017·1.15 MB·English

by  Grace Seo

University of Miami
Scholarly Repository
Open Access Theses Electronic Theses and Dissertations
2014-12-17
Lessons for Aquaculture from Agriculture: Selected
Comparisons of Fish and Animal Farming
Grace Seo
University of Miami, [email protected]
Follow this and additional works at:https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses
Recommended Citation
Seo, Grace, "Lessons for Aquaculture from Agriculture: Selected Comparisons of Fish and Animal Farming" (2014).Open Access
Theses. 542.
https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses/542
This Embargoed is brought to you for free and open access by the Electronic Theses and Dissertations at Scholarly Repository. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Open Access Theses by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Repository. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

LESSONS FOR AQUACULTURE FROM AGRICULTURE:
SELECTED COMPARISONS OF FISH AND ANIMAL FARMING

By

Grace Seo

A THESIS

Submitted to the Faculty
of the University of Miami
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the degree of Master of Science

Coral Gables, Florida

December 2014
©2014
Grace M. Seo
All Rights Reserved
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science

LESSONS FOR AQUACULTURE FROM AGRICULTURE:
SELECTED COMPARISONS OF FISH AND ANIMAL FARMING

Grace M. Seo

Approved:

________________ _________________
Daniel Benetti, Ph.D. Maria L. Estevanez, M.B.A., M.A.
Professor, Marine Affairs and Policy Senior Lecturer, Marine Affairs and Policy

________________ _________________
Gunnar Knapp, Ph.D. M. Brian Blake, Ph.D.
Director and Professor of Economics Dean of the Graduate School
University of Alaska
SEO, GRACE M. (M.S., Marine Affairs and Policy)
Lessons for Aquaculture from Agriculture: (December 2014)
Selected Comparisons of Fish and Animal Farming.

Abstract of a thesis at the University of Miami.

Thesis supervised by Dr. Daniel Benetti.
No. of pages in text. (91)

While global wild fisheries harvests stable or declining, aquaculture is meeting the
demands of a growing global population for more seafood. Aquaculture production has
increased dramatically at an average annual rate of 6.2% in the period from 2000 to 2012
(FAO, 2014). Between 2001 and 2011, the share of aquaculture in global fish production
as increased from 27.6% to 40.1% (FAO, 2013).
Fish farming (aquaculture) has an only a brief history in comparison with meat farming
(agriculture). Humans have been engaged in agriculture throughout all of recorded human
history, while large scale aquaculture has arisen only over the last fifty years.
This difference in history has important implications for how fish farming is
perceived and regulated when compared to meat farming. Though aquaculture and
agriculture are similar industries, agriculture has evolved together with human culture, at
a time when people had little understanding of how their actions affected the surrounding
environment. Though agriculture had dramatic impacts on the environment, these impacts
did not challenge the legitimacy of agriculture or bring, until recently, significant
regulation to mitigate these impacts. In contrast, aquaculture is developing at a time when
its potential impacts are subject to detailed attention, and development is strictly regulated
to mitigate these impacts—particularly in developed countries such as the United States.
Against this contrasting history and regulation, this thesis compares several aspects
of aquaculture, including disease control, the adoption of nanotechnology, and government
regulation.
Acknowledgement

I would like to thank my committee members, first and foremost, for their continued
patience and guidance. Thank you to my committee chair, Dr. Daniel Benetti for allowing
me to explore ideas that are outside the box and reeling me back in when I have gone too
far. To Maria, the backbone and “mother” of MAF, without you, I would have I wouldn’t
be where I am now. Thank you for your patience and sacrifice. And to Dr. Gunnar Knapp,
thank you for your honest appraisal of my writing. I am very grateful for the level of
expertise that you brought to my thesis.
Special thanks to the students of the University of Miami Experimental Hatchery
for all the experience, lessons, laughter, and friendship. My time there has taught me not
only the protocols to successfully raise marine fish but also taught me that having a rainbow
of personalities makes work more enjoyable.
A special thanks to Alexandra Min Baek and Josh Grubman for editing my thesis
at multiple stages. I know it was painful at times, so I really appreciate you for using your
editing prowess to make my thesis better.
Finally, to my loving family and friends, I am eternally grateful for your love and
support. I was able to gather strength from the unending love and support that I received
from all of you. I am who I am today because of all your support and encouragements. I
love you guys.

iii
Table of Contents
List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... vi
List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii
CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER 2 – OBJECTIVE .............................................................................................. 6
CHAPTER 3 – METHODS ................................................................................................ 7
CHAPTER 4 – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................ 8
4.1 – Disease Control Issues ........................................................................................... 8
4.1.1 – Antibiotics – One Possible Solution ................................................................9
4.1.2 – Critiques of Antibiotics and Agrochemicals ..................................................10
4.1.3 – Repercussions of the Use of Antibiotics in Animal and Fish Farming..........12
4.1.4 – Recommendations for Global Actions Concerning Antibiotics ....................20
4.1.5 – Alternatives to Antibiotic Use in both Aquaculture and Agriculture ............22
4.1.6 – Lesson Learned ..............................................................................................29
4.2 – Nanotechnology ................................................................................................... 30
4.2.1 – Feed Delivery .................................................................................................31
4.2.2 – Water Treatment ............................................................................................32
4.2.3 – Biofouling ......................................................................................................33
4.2.4 – Product Enhancement ....................................................................................33
4.2.5 – Disease Management .....................................................................................34
4.2.6 – Disease Control ..............................................................................................35
4.2.7 – Nanovaccines .................................................................................................36
4.2.8 – Concerns ........................................................................................................37
4.2.9 – Lesson Learned ..............................................................................................38
4.3 – Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................ 39
4.3.1 – Feed Conversion Ratio ...................................................................................39
4.3.2 – Habitat Conversion ........................................................................................41
4.3.3 – Bioremediation in Aquaculture ......................................................................49
4.3.4 – Remediation in Agriculture............................................................................52
4.3.5 – Lessons Learned.............................................................................................55
4.4 – Legislation and Policy.......................................................................................... 55
4.4.1 – Policy in the United States .............................................................................55
4.4.2 – Aquaculture Policy in the United States ........................................................57
4.4.3 – Agriculture Policy in the United States .........................................................63
iv
4.4.4 – Policy Addressing Antibiotic in the United States ........................................65
4.4.5 – Policy Addressing Nanotechnology ...............................................................67
4.4.6 – Policy Addressing Environmental Impacts ....................................................68
4.4.7. – Lessons Learned............................................................................................70
CHAPTER 5 – CONCLUSION ....................................................................................... 72
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 75

v
List of Tables

Table 1: Different classes of antibiotics used in aquaculture, their importance for human
medicine and examples of (multi)resistant pathogenic bacteria isolated from
aquaculture settings ................................................................................................. 14
Table 2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Bacteriophage Alternative ............................ 24
Table 3 Advantages and Potential Risks of Nanotechnology ........................................... 38
Table 4 Statutes Empowering Governmental Agencies ................................................... 62
Table 5 Selected Challenges and Opportunities of Aquaculture and Agriculture ............ 72

vi