AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY OF ORGANIC AQUACULTURE OF ATLANTIC COD (GADUS MORHUA)

Wild stocks of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) are at an all time low. With capture fisheries in serious decline, the continued demand for the fish has led to a fledgling aquaculture industry which is forecast to grow rapidly. However, rather than being seen as an answer to declining populations of wild fish, aquaculture of camivorous species has been widely criticised for further depleting fish stocks and for its wider effects on the marine environment. This research tests the hypothesis that 'organic' cod farming can be a sustainable industry, both environmentally and economically. Furthermore, it is argued that economic sustainability catmot exist without envirormiental sustainability. Data were collected in the form of public questionnaires, administered in Plymouth and Totnes, and interviews with aquaculture experts, largely in Scotland. The results showed that the organic cod farming facility in Shetland is addressing the concems traditionally associated with aquaculture of camivorous species and that a market exists for organically farmed cod at prices higher than those paid for wild fish at present. It is concluded that organic cod farming, as practised in Shetland, is sustainable on the current scale. While there is room for measured expansion of the industry, overexpansion would place increased pressure on natural systems, making sustainability less likely. Therefore, altemative techniques, including on-land or integrated aquaculture systems, must be considered. Any expansion must be accompanied by fiirther research into the industry's sustainability.Faculty of Scienc