A Different Kind of Climate Solution

A Different Kind of Climate Solution: Aquaculture
08/12/2021
AG & Environmental Impact
AUTHOR: MARISSA ROSEN
How do we nourish a growing population while also protecting and enhancing our planet and communities? Answering this question is complex and has a myriad of growing solutions. Aquaculture is one solution with tremendous potential to contribute to global food security and nutrition while operating in a sustainable way.
Aquaculture , also known as aquafarming or fish farming, is the rearing of animals and plants, like seaweed, in fresh and seawater. Originating about 4,000 years ago in China, aquaculture has grown exponentially over the last two decades to keep pace with the world’s expanding appetite for fish and other seafood. The industry  grew by 527 percent between 1990 and 2018 . Today, fish are one of the most widely traded food commodities worldwide, with more than half of fish exports by value coming from developing countries.
According to the United Nations, the U.S. has the greatest untapped exclusive economic zone (EEZ) potential in the world — EEZ refers to the 200 nautical mile zone in which coastal nations have jurisdiction over natural resources. Today, the U.S. imports about 91 percent of its seafood. Because about half of all seafood consumed worldwide is farmed, there is a tremendous opportunity for the U.S. to increase the percent of fish sourced domestically by multiplying fish farms in its EEZ.
USFRA Farm Food Facts podcast host, Phil Lempert, recently spoke with Donna Lanzetta, CEO and founder of  Manna Fish Farms , to learn more about how aquaculture is evolving and its role in helping to solve global food and environmental challenges. Manna is a leader in responsible offshore aquaculture in North America, with multiple finfish farms in development, including a certified organic farm in Ontario, Canada and others off the coasts of Long Island and Pensacola, Florida. Wild striped bass, steelhead trout and rainbow trout are among Manna’s target fish species.
 
Technology and practices are expanding production and improving sustainability
Just as farming on land is being driven by new technology, more sustainable methods and expanded production, so is aquaculture. Here are a few examples.
Remote-activated aquatic robots support sustainable sea-based aquaculture
Sea-based aquaculture depends on a system of cages and/or net pens that confine fish or shellfish in a mesh enclosure, near the surface or submerged. Manna uses innovation to ensure their systems raise fish sustainably and humanely. They are developing remote-activated robotic net pens that move up and down in the water to maintain both optimum positioning within the nutrient rich waters and preferred growing temperatures, while avoiding storm damage. They’re also planning to utilize robotic automatic feed buoys to nourish their fingerlings — fish raised in freshwater hatcheries then moved to offshore net pens — while taking nothing from the sea. Another innovation on the horizon is a robotic device that cleans and repairs the nets.
Blockchain enables transparency and traceability
A lack of transparency and traceability are frequent criticisms against aquaculture. Lanzetta shared that Manna is committed to 100 percent transparency, which is necessary to achieve the social license to operate. According to Lanzetta, approximately 46 percent of seafood is mislabeled. Blockchain is being used to tackle this problem as products move through the supply chain to ensure that what consumers buy is the same product initially grown. Manna is working with IBM on blockchain-based solutions to trace seafood from fisherman or farmer to plate. The Manna Seafood Blockchain pilot project is presently underway.
Lanzetta has recently opened a restaurant with a partner which features  blockchain on the menu , including with QR codes for guests to read about their meal’s journey. The goal of  Manna Restaurant at Lobster Inn  is to teach guests about sustainable seafood production and sourcing, while sharing culinary delights featuring locally farmed and wild capture seafood.
Collaboration and partnerships drive sustainable aquaculture forward
“Ocean farming is not really something that can be accomplished by one person alone or even one team alone,” says Lanzetta. Manna is collaborating with marine biologists, ocean engineers and many research institutes and universities. They’re also working closely with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to analyze where to situate pending sites, an in-depth process called marine spatial planning.
Soybean producers are a key partner in aquaculture.  In fact, soybean meal is the most used protein source in aquaculture feed worldwide.  It is an ideal feed: high protein density, easily digestible for most cultured fish and shrimp species, produced from a consistent and reliable crop, and can replace high-cost animal proteins while also yielding rapid fish growth. The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), among other groups, conducts research in fish nutrition and international marketing to support aquaculture and the soybean industry.
Others across the private sector are joining forces as well. Lanzetta is on the board of  The World Ocean Council  (WOC), a global, cross-sectoral ocean industry leadership alliance committed to “Corporate Ocean Responsibility.” WOC uses a multi-sectoral approach to addressing ocean issues related to sustainable development, science and stewardship of the seas.
Aquaculture faces a legacy of negative consumer perception
Fish farming reduces pressures on wild stocks, supports coastal and rural communities, and delivers high protein seafood. So why are people hesitant to buy farmed fish? Lanzetta provides her point of view on current aquaculture trends versus common consumer perceptions.
“Fish farms only create Frankenfish”
Frankenfish refers to genetically engineered fish, commonly perceived to be unnatural, invasive and unhealthy for consumption. “We’re not Frankenfish breeding or striving to achieve that,” says Lanzetta. She sees the industry moving away from the use of GMOs in fish and feed. For example, Manna is studying the growth of the true wild striped bass in simulated settings to see how they will fare in offshore sites.
“All farmed seafood is pumped with antibiotics”
Lanzetta says that Manna, working with the    Manna Ocean Foundation , has launched an  independently audited program to certify U.S. farmed seafood organic, in accordance with the Canadian organic aquaculture standards. The Canadian Organic Certification standards address antibiotic use, feed components and sourcing, and husbandry methods, among other requirements. The U.S. has not established standards for organic certification of seafood.  Using blockchain to trace seafood from origin to table can be helpful to ultimately reward those fishermen and farmers who employ sustainable, healthy practices. Benefits include higher market prices, increased trust and improved reputation.
“Fish farms pollute the oceans and waterways”
Aquaculture has been criticized for producing large amounts of waste that might deplete oxygen in the water. Yet, the industry is maturing sustainably with many promising technological and biological innovations for science-based monitoring, similar to processes used in terrestrial farming, like fallowing. Current monitoring shows the minimal impact of aquaculture on the ocean ecosystem. For example, Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) farms raise multiple aquatic species from different trophic levels in an integrated fashion to improve efficiency, reduce waste and provide ecosystem services, such as bioremediation. Species at the lower trophic level (usually plants or invertebrates) use waste products such as feces and uneaten feed from the higher trophic species (typically finfish), as nutrients. Both trophic level species can be harvested, providing more revenue, and waste then becomes a valuable resource.
Being able to feed the world in the face of climate change is the challenge of our time. Lanzetta wants the public to know: “We care about the ocean. We care about the environment. We’re here to work towards reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.”