Table Of ContentSustainable Marine Aquaculture:
Fulfilling The Promise;
Managing The Risks
REPORT OF THE MARINE AQUACULTURE TASK FORCE
JANUARY 2007
Sustainable Marine Aquaculture:
Fulfilling The Promise;
Managing The Risks
REPORT OF THE MARINE AQUACULTURE TASK FORCE
January 2007
table of contents
Task Force Members and Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Executive Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
CHAPTER 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
CHAPTER 2 Status of Marine Aquaculture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
CHAPTER 3 Governance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
CHAPTER 4 Ecological Effects of Escapes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
CHAPTER 5 Aquaculture Disease Interactions with the Ecosystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
CHAPTER 6 Water Pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
CHAPTER 7 Aquaculture Feeds and Feeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
CHAPTER 8 Working within the Marketplace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
CHAPTER 9 Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Marine Aquaculture Task Force
Richard Pittengeris chairman of the State of Hawaii, and served as Deputy
Marine Aquaculture Task Force. Dick Director for Environmental Health for the
Pittenger retired in 2004 as Vice President state from 1987 through 1998. He holds a
for Marine Operations and Arctic Research Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the
Coordinator for Woods Hole Oceanographic University of Hawaii and an M.P.H. in
Institution, where he worked for 14 years, epidemiology from Yale University.
devising and carrying out a strategy to mod- Daniel Benettiis the Chairman of the
ernize its fleet of research vessels and advanc- Division of Marine Affairs and Policy at the
ing the use of remotely operated vehicles University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of
for ocean science. Adm. Pittenger retired Marine and Atmospheric Science, where he
from the Navy as a Rear Admiral in 1990. is an Associate Professor and the Director of
During his 32 years of service, he had a Aquaculture. He has over 25 years experience
wide range of duties including command in aquaculture worldwide and has published
of a mine sweeper in Vietnam and a numerous articles in aquaculture science and
destroyer squadron, Chief of Staff to the technology. In addition to his academic
U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, director of responsibilities, he carries out R&D and
the Antisubmarine Warfare Division, and technology transfer projects for the develop-
Oceanographer of the Navy. He is a frequent ment of sustainable marine hatchery and off-
lecturer at the Naval War College and the shore growout initiatives. He has extensive
Naval Postgraduate School, and has authored experience with the industry and has been a
books on antisubmarine warfare and articles consultant for the private and government
on undersea acoustics, nautical charting, and sectors in Latin America, the U.S., Europe,
naval oceanography. Asia, the Caribbean, and Australia.
Bruce Andersonis president of the Coordinating the NOAA/NSG/NMAI
Oceanic Institute, a not-for-profit research effort in the SE U.S. and the Caribbean, he
organization in Hawaii dedicated to sustain- has partnered with the government and the
able aquaculture development, improved industry to spearhead advanced technology
coastal resource management, and marine for hatchery and offshore aquaculture devel-
science education. Dr. Anderson has exten- opment in these regions. He is the scientific
sive experience in environmental manage- coordinator of Snapperfarm’s and Aquasense’s
ment and public health issues in Hawaii and offshore aquaculture demonstration projects
the Pacific Islands. Before assuming the lead- in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Prior to
ership of the Oceanic Institute, Dr. joining the faculty of the University of
Anderson was director of the Environmental Miami, he was a research scientist at Harbor
Health Program at the University of Hawaii Branch Oceanographic Institution in Ft.
School of Medicine. From 1999 through Pierce, Florida.
2002, he was Director of Health for the
i i MARINE AQUACULTURE TASK FORCE
Paul Daytonis Professor of Oceanography Commission’s report on marine aquaculture.
at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Dr. Goldburg has an M.S. in Statistics, a
His research interests include benthic Ph.D. in Ecology, and an honorary
ecology, marine conservation and policy, Doctorate of Laws, all from the University
evolution, and natural history. He is the of Minnesota.
author of dozens of publications on topics Alison Rieseris the Dai Ho Chun
ranging from kelp forest ecology, ecosystem Distinguished Chair in Arts and Sciences at
effects of fishing, to cetacean habitat selec- the University of Hawai’i Manoa. She was
tion. He teaches numerous courses including previously a professor of ocean and coastal
natural history of coastal habitats, professional law at the University of Maine School of
ethics in science, advanced experimental Law. She directed the University of Maine’s
methods, and biological oceanography. Marine Law Institute from 1983 until 2001.
Bill Deweyis the public affairs manager Her research interests include the use of
for Washington State’s Taylor Shellfish property and rights-based concepts in
Company, one of the largest producers of ocean and coastal management, ecosystem
farmed shellfish in the United States. During approaches to fisheries management, and the
more than 20 years as a shellfish farmer, role of science in marine legal regimes. In
Dewey has been active in shaping environ- addition to her teaching duties, Professor
mental and regulatory public policy as it Rieser is a consultant to federal and state
affects the shellfish culture industry. He is agencies and NGOs, and has written and
president of the Pacific Shellfish Institute, lectured extensively on coastal and ocean law.
serves on the Board of Directors of the She is the coauthor of the leading casebook
National Aquaculture Association and was on ocean and coastal law and of numerous
recently appointed by Washington’s articles on the management of marine fish-
Governor Gregoire to his third term on the eries, the regulation of aquaculture, and the
Puget Sound Council advising the State on protection of endangered marine wildlife.
conservation priorities for Puget Sound. He Professor Rieser served on the National
recently served as a member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee to Review
Academy of Science’s Committee on Individual Fishing Quotas and was selected
Nonnative Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay as a Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation in
and together with his wife Joyce, owns and 1999. She was a postdoctoral fellow in
operates a clam farm in Samish Bay. marine policy at the Woods Hole
Rebecca Goldburgis a senior scientist at Oceanographic Institution and has law
Environmental Defense, a national nonprofit degrees from The George Washington
research and advocacy organization. Working University and Yale Law School.
from New York City, Goldburg is active in Byron Sherwas elected to the California
public policy issues concerning both marine State Senate in 1996 in a special election. He
and terrestrial food production. Among her was subsequently re-elected to two four-year
responsibilities, she leads Environmental terms, and served as the first chairman of the
Defense’s work to increase demand for more Senate Environmental Quality Committee.
sustainably produced seafood. She currently Mr. Sher served for over 15 years in the State
serves as an advisor to the Luce Foundation’s Assembly, where he chaired the Natural
Environment Program, as a member of the Resources Committee and the Criminal Law
USDA’s task force developing organic stan- and Public Safety Committees. He served
dards for aquaculture, and on the Monterey two terms as Mayor of Palo Alto during his
Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program’s nine years on the City Council. Mr. Sher
Advisory Board. An author of numerous arti- graduated from Harvard Law School and is
cles, Goldburg coauthored the Pew Oceans Professor of Law Emeritus at Stanford Law
SUSTAINABLE MARINE AQUACULTURE ii
School. He held academic teaching positions Staff
at the law schools of Harvard, Southern
Chris Mann, Executive Director
Methodist University and the University of
Judy McDowell, Science Director
Southern California, as well as Stanford.
Amy Kenney, Consultant
Arliss Sturgulewskiwas elected to serve
Brendan O’Neill, Consultant
on the Anchorage Charter Commission and
Sheri DeRosa, Administrative Assistant
the Anchorage Assembly. She served in the
Alaska State Senate from 1978 through
1992, when she chose not to stand for re-
election. She was the Republican candidate
for governor of Alaska in 1986 and 1990.
Senator Sturgulewski received a BA in
Economics and Business from the University
of Washington. She received an Honorary
Doctor of Laws degree from the University
of Alaska, Anchorage. She has served on
many local municipal boards, including
Planning and Zoning and the Board of
Examiners and Appeals. Ms. Sturgulewski
gives frequent speeches on issues dealing
with equity and on education issues. She is a
trustee for the Anchorage YMCA, Sheldon
Jackson College located in Sitka, Alaska, and
the University of Alaska Foundation. She
serves on the Advisory Council for the
University of Alaska School of Fisheries and
Ocean Sciences and the University of Alaska,
Anchorage Chancellor’s Council as well as
numerous other statewide boards and com-
missions.
iii MARINE AQUACULTURE TASK FORCE
Description:Aquaculture. He has over 25 years experience in aquaculture worldwide and has published numerous articles in aquaculture science and technology.
