Revisión de los impactos ecológicos del cultivo de peces en jaulas en el ecuador

Abstract

Fish farming in cages is a highly successful productive activity, however the environmental impact attributed to it is a factor to consider, so under strict regulations and better farming technology, this form of aquaculture can be considered environmentally friendly. Among the main negative impacts are the release of nutrients, contamination of sediments with organic matter, escape of fish, genetic impact of escaped organisms, risk of proliferation and transmission of diseases, among others. Ecuador has excellent conditions to implement mariculture, with a potential area of 4,000 km2, due to the fact that the Ecuadorian coasts meet desirable conditions of depth, climatic factors, moderate winds, bathymetry and speed of sea currents. In this context, after the maritime zoning process carried out in the country, it was determined that in areas that do not intersect with other activities in the open sea, there is a total of 248,221.95 hectares to implement fish farming in cages. For this activity to be carried out successfully in Ecuador, what has happened in countries such as Canada, Norway, Taiwan, among others, must be observed and learned from them, since they have a long history of farming fish in cages, and learning from the negative aspects that the mentioned countries went through. One of the most important aspects is the environmental impact, so applying the integrated multitrophic aquaculture model (IMTA) will allow the sustainability of this new industry in our country. Additionally, the support of the government is needed to have clear rules in the execution of this activity, so that it can be promoted to attract the interest of both local and foreign investors.