Environment impacts of aquaculture in foreign developing countries

Recent questionnaire data, from trainees of 20 foreign developing countries of Asia, Africa and Southern America in 2004 Training Course for Integrated Fish Farming of Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries (TCDC) program, were analyzed on most common aquaculture species, environmental impacts from aquaculture and needed strategies for elimination of the impacts. Results suggested that there was great diversity of species in aquaculture activities in the countries studied and about 90 species were recorded including fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, sea weeds and so on. Species in traditional food aquaculture was more than those in recent business aquaculture in every country except for Thailand. The most significant environmental impacts seemed to be effluent, habitat destruction, chemicals, and heavy fishing of natural parent fishes and fries. Those of biological pollution by escapees, transportation of diseases, high pressure on pelagic fish, and by-catch took a second place rank. Effective strategies for elimination of these impacts are urgently necessary in mechanism research, alternative technology, relevant education system and supportive policy for the developing countries in the present study.