18 Comments

1. 

   Brooke Bessesen on 20 July, 2009 at 9:28 pm

   I am devastated to hear this project is potentially moving forward! I have know about it for some time but never thought it could actually come to fruition.

   This is terrible news for all of us who care about Earth’s vital habitats, as this is truly one of the richest areas in the world! The importance of the Golfo Dulce to many of the most beautiful marine species, from humpback whales to sea turtles to whale sharks and more, cannot be overestimated.

   As a U.S. citizen, I have enjoyed wonderous visits to Costa Rica. The country’s greatest wealth is in it’s biodiverity, which brings tourists from around the globe!

   Please… we must find a way to protect these waters from the impact of farm fishing.

   Naturalist and children’ author-illustrator, Brooke Bessesen

   Reply
2. 

   Andy Bystrom on 21 July, 2009 at 11:12 am

   Hi Brooke,

   I’m Pretomas communications director and head of the “No Tuna Farms” campaign. Please get in touch with me at andy@pretoma.org to find out how you can join the campaign against tuna farming in the Golfo Dulce. I look forward to hearing from you, and thank you for your comments.

   Saludos,

   Andy

   Reply
3. 

   Chris Clayburn on 13 October, 2009 at 3:07 pm

   I am extremely passionate about protecting our Natural habitats and in particular our oceans as I am a Marine Biologist. However, I also recognise that ‘Aquaculture’ is a viable method of protecting the natural stocks of aquatic species and removing the harmful effects of damaging fishing methods. Therefore i would like to see some further information as to why this Tuna farm will negatively impact upon it’s surroundings?

   Reply
4. 

   Andy Bystrom on 13 October, 2009 at 3:40 pm

   Hi Chris,

   Great comments. This tuna aquaculture project will capture juvenile tuna at sea, place the young tuna in cages that will be drug back to the coast, then transfered to permanent cages where they will be fattened and eventually exported. When juveniles of any species are targeted, it spells population collapse!! The technology does not yet exist to take a tuna eggs, hatch the larva and raise them into full grown adults because larva swim sporadically in their tanks and bash themselves to death into the walls (this is called walling). You can read 2 short magazine articles I wrote on the tuna farms on my Costa Rican Conservation Network blog at http://costaricanconservationnetwork.wordpress.com/
   They were posted on September 3 so just click that date on the calendar. Their titles are “The dark side of tuna farming” and “Tuna farms threaten on of planet’s best surfing spots”.

   Reply
5. 

   Chris Clayburn on 13 October, 2009 at 4:55 pm

   Hi Andy,
   thanks for your response.
   It is true that there are issues with ‘closing the life cycle’ of Tuna or producing adult fish from broodstock. Though there has been considerable progress in solving this problem an in fact ‘Clean Seas Tuna’ are constructing a hatchery to promote this sucess (http://www.seafoodsource.com/newsarticledetail.aspx?id=4294968287) as well as others involved in the development of producing Tuna sustainably.
   I think it is important that we do highlight ‘bad practices’ within the aquaculture industry as we should with any other. However, it is equally important to give a balanced and coherent argument. It would be to the detriment of our environment and human sustenance (http://www.worldfishcenter.org/wfcms/HQ/article.aspx?ID=722) if we were to tarnish the entire industry with a negative image. The concept of aquaculture is absolutely beneficial and essential to sustain both human interests and those of the environment but I would also support highlighting practices that harm the environment from any industry.

   Reply
6. 

   Andy on 15 October, 2009 at 12:22 pm

   Hi Chris,
   The no tuna farms campaign’s mission is to prevent tuna farming at the mouth of the Golf Dulce, not to tarnish the entire industry. I would love to promote a “Tuna Farming Done Right” initiative; however, my focus is on the unsustainable project slated for Costa Rica’s southern Pacific Coast.
   Improvements in closing the tuna’s life cycle are intriguing, but pollution concerns and the danger they present to local fish populations (of which many poor coastal communities depend)still result when massive quantities of tuna are artificially congregated in small concentrated areas. I don´t believe human sustenance hinges on aquaculture. Human subsistence hinges on sustainable fishing methods that reduce by-catch, promote population growth of targeted fisheries, and don’t compromise the wellbeing of the area’s natural resources. Most aquaculture products (tuna, salmon, shrimp…) are exported as luxury items and consumed in the few highest industrialized nations of the world; meanwhile, underprivileged local artisan fishing communities have to deal with the project’s adverse aftereffects.

   Reply
7. 

   Chris Clayburn on 21 October, 2009 at 10:32 am

   Hi Andy,
   I understand that for this particular campaign you are targeting a ‘specific farm and site’, of which I know little about and there does not appear to be any evidence presented that I can form an opinion on?
   Despite that, in your last post, your comments did cover the aquaculture industry ‘as a whole’ (“Most aquaculture products (tuna, salmon, shrimp…) are exported as luxury items”).
   This assumption is completely false and will not help to support the good work that is being done in developing countries and has been done for hundreds of years in countries such as China. Over 1 billion people (http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/aquaculture.htm) rely upon aquaculture produce for sustenance. It is in fact the ‘overwhelming’ case that it is the developing countries that rely upon aquaculture for sustenance.
   The problem we are facing is simply an ‘exponential’ growth in the human population, which is the most pressing problem. After which vital nutrients that can only be found in ‘aquatic’ species are necessary for health. Aquaculture is one of the least, if not the least detrimental ways of providing this. There are also MPAs (Marine Protected Areas) and methods of ‘Zonal’ management of our oceans to help protect areas of ‘special scientific interest’ (SSSI) and we can advise upon more selective methods of fishing but just because we protect ‘by catch’ species will not help species such as ‘Blue fin Tuna’ or ‘Cod’ maintain healthy wild stocks.
   Traditional farming methods for terrestrial animals have helped maintain our human population and to an extent preserved wild populations of ‘game’ animals.
   Why should aquaculture be any different?

   Reply
8. 

   Chris Clayburn on 21 October, 2009 at 11:03 am

   Hi Andy,
   I really feel that I had to write another comment, such is my strong feeling about this matter and the ‘wider ramifications’ of it.
   Although I applaud your entering into a debate with me upon this subject and I think your intentions are genuine which is also obviously to be commended however, I am dismayed when people get their ‘facts’ so wrong.
   Please research a little wider than just aquaculture companies that, ‘cut down mangroves for shrimp farms’ or ‘salmon farms that are suffering from parasites’.
   I think the trouble here is starting with an ‘over evolved’ agenda. Our mission should be to protect the earth and all that is in it by which ever methods are most effective- simple. I think if you look into aquaculture and see the ‘common sense’ behind it, your horizons may be ‘broadened’. There is very rarely a ‘black and white’ answer to anything. We need to work in conjunction of managing the oceans in a far less destructive capacity and support ‘sustainable’ aquaculture. I would advise you to look at the work being done on ‘hydroponics’ and ‘polyculture’ (methods that have been used on an artisanal scale for thousands of years). Also (RAS) Recirculating Aquaculture Systems are able to use tiny amounts of water, produce large quantities of fish and have ZERO impact upon the environment…..which fishing methods can boast that?
   regards,
   Chris

   Reply
9. 

   Andy Bystrom on 21 October, 2009 at 2:28 pm

   Because I’m not the world’s authority on this subject, I am open to comments and criticism. That said, I’ve done some digging, and I can conclude that you can not sustainably farm carnivorous fish… a simple truth that needs to be proven over and over again.

   As an alternative, mussels and oysters hanging on ropes are being farmed sustainably in many places, in more temperate waters. With some research, this type of aquaculture could be turned into sustainable projects in other parts of the word (down here in Costa Rica? Perhaps.). As for sustainable aquaculture projects that provide subsistence for millions of people in China, I agree that local small scale marine farming represents a clear cut benefit to the resident population when its yields are consumed locally. As Chris says, this is common sense aquaculture. And sure enough I agree.

   Chris’ comments begin to concern me when they blur the line between small scale “common sense” sustainable aquaculture used to feed a family in a developing country, and commercial projects used to fuel the insatiable high end seafood demands of international markets. He seems to lump to 2 together and use technological breakthroughs to justify them. Tuna farming projects (and I’m being specific) are commercial, a few people make a ton of $ off of them, suck-up an absurd amount of resources, just so the upper echelon of society can continue to enjoy the “finer things in life”. Tuna farming is not feeding starving people in China.

   With all due respect to Chris, whom I do not know, he commits an egregious error when he compares “traditional farming methods for terrestrial animals that have helped maintain our human population and to an extent preserved wild populations of ‘game’ animals”, to aquaculture. Domesticated animals (cows, pigs…) are fenced in and separated from other wild animals, but this is not so easy to do in the ocean. Captive tuna interact with live stocks and in many instances infect wild stocks with diseases. Yes, there have been advances in technology that probably reduce the instances of disease outbreaks; however, serious concerns remain and are well documented. Why not invest all of this time, $, and knowledge on something more useful than farm raising tuna? Why not invest in education? The state of Hawaii just approved one of these technological big budget tuna farms. Meanwhile, the state’s public schools are closed on a number of Fridays during the year. Less education will not help us solve the global environmental crisis!! I have gotten off the subject; I digress.

   The comparison Chris makes between domestic animal ranching and commercial tuna aquaculture is just, however the mistake comes when he makes the argument that cattle ranching is sustainable, just like tuna farming is. No sir, the destructiveness of domestic animal farming to feed the planet’s burgeoning population is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Simply saying, “we have to feed all of these people somehow” is like putting a band-aid on a broken leg. You’re covering up the problem instead of fixing it. This gets us into another debate over population growth that I will not go into right now. But the fact remains, we can go on being reactive and “aquaculture” the seas until all of our fish are encapsulated in pens, are fed antibiotics, etc. OR we can be proactive and educate ourselves and our children on how to consume less, buy locally and enjoy life a thousand miles from the ocean without eating a big fat tuna steak.

   If we are more, we must consume less, for we live on a finite planet!!

   Chris, I know your gonna come at me again, and that’s fine, I will continue topost all of your comments. Just tell me a little about yourself next time (though I already have my suspicions).

   Reply
10. 

    Chris Clayburn on 2 November, 2009 at 8:59 am

    Dear Andy, thanks for the response.
    Firstly I will tell you about myself (although I know you are looking to discredit my remarks by displaying that I have some sort of agenda! I am of the opinion that a good idea is a good idea no matter who suggests it and so their background is not of prime importance).
    I am a Marine Biology graduate and an Aquaculture graduate. I have had a deep passion for the sea for as long as I can remember. I also had the time of my life as a volunteer for a fisheries management project in East Africa.
    I am now working in the Aquaculture industry and I am involved in both the ‘Tech’ side for developed countries and the ‘extensive’ methods employed in developing countries. – does this confirm your suspicions? Please explain to me what you have to be ‘suspicious’ about?
    I did not have to elucidate my background at all but I did so at your request.
    I do not think this is of importance especially on a ‘blog’.

    Reply
11. 

    Chris Clayburn on 2 November, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Now, I will respond to what IS actually important.

    I take serious issue with the nature in which you ‘drastically’ alter my statements.

    As an example in your last post referring to myself -‘he makes the argument that cattle ranching is sustainable’.

    This is a total fabrication and I have never posted this viewpoint or statement, very disappointing Andy.

    If you are interested in saving the oceans you must stick to looking at the fundamental problems and not focus on trying to ‘pigeon hole’ me so you can write me off as having an agenda and disregard my serious points.

    I still think you need to search more widely to put up your arguments ‘robustly’.
    You seem to be using a ‘raft’ of unsubstantiated reports to support an overall desire to see that any ‘commercial’ aquaculture venture is a bad one. Again, you have to start with the facts first before the agenda or you will construct a line of halve truths to paint a picture you want to see.

    1. Yes farming carnivorous fish is at this point ‘unsustainable’. However, taking them from the sea is even more unsustainable as a fish in the wild require far more protein to attain adult size due to the energy required to find the fish. Protein supplements are used in feeding some carnivorous fish (soya, etc) and there will hopefully be the option to use entirely sustainable feeds in the future.

    2.Bivalve culture (mussels, oysters, etc) is not an alternative to the farming of carnivorous fish. Human beings require EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) to convert into eicosanoids. If you can suggest an alternative source of these Omega 3 fatty acids I am all ears.

    3.I am not blurring any lines. Aquaculture is obviously an ‘inter linked’ discipline (one you need to look into further before being able to criticise in the the manner that you do). For example, developments in shrimp farming technology have meant that developed (high-tech) forms of aquaculture have produced ‘SPF’ (Specific Pathogen Free) stocks of shrimp that do not spread disease in areas that farming can only be done ‘extensively’ without bio-security (one example of thousands!). So here the 2 forms of aquaculture are connected and mutually beneficial. – on the point of Tuna farming, yes it is a lucrative business, but is that a good reason to discredit it? and I agree that ‘Tuna farming is not feeding starving people in China’ but what is the relevance of that statement???

    4. Your point where you say I make an ‘egregious error’ in comparing terrestrial based farming and aquaculture because there is little or no transmission of disease between wild and domesticated animals on land because of ‘fences’ well I’m afraid this is a very badly chosen point.
    Yes I will concede that there have been lice infestations on certain salmon farms that have infected wild populations which is of course very bad practice and I will unite with you on that point. BUT! you must be aware that terrestrial animals are susceptible to cross infections from farm animals!!?? There have been numerous cases of wild and domesticated animals having huge impacts on each other through disease. This is well documented through the last century though it does not justify the same happening with aquaculture projects but it does disprove your line of argument.

    5.I think you have to compare like for like. There is no ‘common ground’ for aquaculture or education investment. Education is very important, probably THE most important thing for a nation. But you need money to pay for it. This comes from taxes. Taxes come from industry. Aquaculture is an industry. I dont think it is a matter of having one or the other so I do not agree with this line of discussion.

    6.I think I touched on this point in my previous post. I will reiterate that you have misrepresented me and created an argument to suggest that I believe ‘cattle ranching is sustainable’. – please explain where you got this from?

    7. Contrary to your suggestion of me ‘covering the problem up’ I think that I am in fact tackling it head on! I am involved in the industry trying to develop sustainable and efficient methods of culturing fish so we may leave the wild populations to recover. I do not see any ‘tangible’ suggestions coming from you to help our problems?? I have provided evidence, facts, supported by reputable sources (U.N.) and criticised and commended where I see the logic of aquaculture to present a nonpartisan and balanced argument.

    I think it is your turn to respond with ‘substance’ to your views and please do not misquote or misrepresent me.
    What is your goal? to oppose any large scale aquaculture development whether they are actually helping the ocean or not??

    regards

    Chris

    Reply
12. 

    Andy Bystrom on 2 November, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    Discredit you? Heck no. I think your work is essential. If we can develop sustainable ways to farm fish, then we will reduce pressures on natural stocks and lower/prevent (??) bycatch. That’s what I want to see; that’s what you’re working on; I support you 100%. What I don’t like, and what I will continue to fight, are the bozos that plop down unsustainable aquaculture projects wherever they choose, intent on consuming resources and converting them into big profits. That’s what I have my hands full with down here.

    Here’s an example of the problem as I see it: Congresswoman Lois Capps of the 23rd District of California is moving forward with legislation to open up federal waters to ocean fish farming. I don’t believe the industry has gotten to the point where we can give it a green light like this. Will aquaculture “get sustainable” one day? After speaking to you, I feel it will; but there are still many questions that need to be answered.

    I’m not out to get the industry—I’m out to improve it by making it tough for the ones who try to cut corners to succeed in doing so. Does that make any sense?

    Reply
13. 

    Gordon Darby on 8 December, 2009 at 10:01 am

    Can either of you tell me how I can get in touch with Eduardo Velarde? Thanks

    Reply
14. 

    Andy Bystrom on 10 December, 2009 at 3:42 pm

    I have had zero contact with Eduardo Velarde. I know he is a driving force behind plans to construct a tuna farm at the mouth of the Golfo Dulce in Costa Rica but do not know how to get in touch with him.

    Reply
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