Australasian snapper swimming amongst lines of farmed mussels with attached kelp.
Photo: Lucy Underwood /University of Auckland.
New international research from the University of Auckland and the University of New England reveals that mussel and seaweed farming in New Zealand can enhance wild fish populations and biodiversity.
The study, conducted in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf and the Gulf of Maine in the US, compared wild fish and invertebrate diversity and abundance on kelp and mussel farms to that of non-farmed sites.
The research, supported by The Nature Conservancy, found that mussel and seaweed farms provide valuable habitat and food sources for marine species.
Professor Andrew Jeffs of the University of Auckland said that fish populations on farm sites were as diverse and abundant, if not more so, than those in natural habitats - but that fish living on farm sites were found to have better nutrition.
“In an examination of gut contents of snapper living inside and outside New Zealand green-lipped mussel farms, fish living on the farm sites were also found to be eating more nutritious diets than those living in natural habitat," Jeffs explained in a University of Auckland media release.
He said the results are a promising sign that mussel and kelp farms can provide settlement and nursery habitats, as well as an important source of food, for wild fish species.
“When implemented in the right places, aquaculture could bolster biodiversity and contribute to the productivity of fisheries," Jeffs added.
Dr. Rob Major from The Nature Conservancy emphasized the novelty of this research, which he pointed out helps fill knowledge gaps regarding aquaculture’s role in habitat provision, particularly in cold water ecosystems like Maine and Aotearoa.
“The aquaculture industry in Aotearoa has growth aspirations," Major said. "This research underlines the role that aquaculture can play in restoring our natural environments, as well as local communities by contributing to employment and economic development.”
Further details of the research project and published research papers can be viewed here.