fish farming

Question 1

what species is fish farming used for?

Answer 1

salmon and trout in the UK

Question 2

what occurs in fish farming?

Answer 2

fish are bred and grown to maturity in enclosures in ponds, lakes, estuaries or in tanks on land

Question 3

what are the advantages of farming fish rather than traditional livestock?

Answer 3

fish convert their food into protein more efficiently

fish farming has a lower carbon footprint

greater proportion of fishes bodies are edible

Question 4

what are the five main problems of fish farming?

Answer 4

diseased fish
pollution
resource use
environmental toxins
environmental degradation

Question 5

diseased fish - problems of fish farming

Answer 5

salmon farms often have a high density –> easily transmit disease

large amounts of antibiotics and pesticides have to be used to keep the fish healthy

pesticides used can harm other organisms such as marine invertebrates

escaped fish can also pass parasites and other infections to wild populations

Question 6

pollution - problems of fish farming

Answer 6

effects the ecological balance of waterways

waste from fish farms can get into water around the fish pens

lead to eutrophication

Question 7

resource use - problems of fish farming

Answer 7

farmed fish can eat a large amount of food

often other fish

this is inefficient

Question 8

environmental toxins - problems of fish farming

Answer 8

environmental toxins e.g. PCBs and pesticides are more concentrated in farmed fish than in wild fish

Question 9

environmental degradation - problems of fish farming

Answer 9

local environment can be damaged e.g. shrimp industry leading to salinisation of soil and groundwater leading to destruction of mangroves