An Overview Of Our Solution
The Shrimp Solution
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Océans/Côtes
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Amérique du Nord
Problem
Describe the problem
The Shrimp Solution is a method of shrimp production that offers coastal communities a sustainable shrimp production option that promotes a healthy coastal ecosystem. It does this by abandoning the past methods while tapping the skills and floating assets from those earlier methods. By introducing Aquapodâ„¢ technologies, novel containment systems designed for open-ocean aquaculture, we can eliminate the problems often associated with poorly managed shrimp trawling and exploitive culture in coastal ponds. Instead, these methods offer a sustainable approach that protects biodiversity, improves the well being of participants and their communities.
Biodiversity Impact
Global demand for shrimp is high and growing and is the highest-valued seafood commodity in the world and for many countries it is the most valuable seafood export. However, the economic value must be balanced against the environmental impacts of shrimp harvesting practices, notably from trawling for wild shrimp and land-based shrimp aquaculture. Increases in demand for shrimp have encouraged over fishing and clearly demonstration these practices are unsustainable within present management regimes. In addition, efforts to remain profitable have resulted in dangerous and socially destabilizing practices. In many a searchfor alternate methods of shrimp production has lead to the growth of pond aquaculture, which brings a new set of sustainability problems. These include habitat destruction, high water demand, and the pollution of local ecosystems. In addition, the nature of these methods has led to disease outbreaks and the use of antibiotics to control them. Ocean Farm Technologies has developed “The Shrimp Solution†a technology and method of shrimp production that can provide sustainable occupations for coastal communities while protecting the environment and a way of life in tune with the oceans. The Shrimp Solution uses Aquapods, a new containment system for marine aquaculture constructed of individual triangular panels that assemble into a spherical shape. Through the use of this novel technology the Shrimp Solution is having a positive impact on local community livelihoods while promoting healthy coastal ecosystems.
Solution
Conventional coastal aquaculture has a checkered reputation that is much deserved. Too often it involves unsustainable practices such as poor siting, excess density, and exploitive feeding practices. The resulting stress on the cultured stock has required the use of antibiotics and their release into the local ecosystem. These conditions combined with poor husbandry practices have lead to a loss of biodiversity in surrounding waters. Offshore aquaculture, by contrast, has demonstrated great promise in improving the sustainability of ocean-based aquaculture, both environmentally and economically. The enabling technology is the robust, submersible sea cage. High-energy locations reduce or eliminate the localized benthic impacts that are associated with sheltered, closely spaced pens. Proper location also means placement in waters that can benefit from the nutrients that emerge from a school of fish, contained or not. The Shrimp Solution, by developing novel shrimp culture techniques has brought a sustainable alternative to traditional methods of production. By growing shrimp in their native environment using these methods, the workers (typically fishermen) can take advantage of their existing skills of working on the ocean, the shrimp prosper from a natural flow of oceanic water, and the environment is able to assimilate and benefit from the associated products of shrimp metabolism. // The Shrimp Solution focuses on the low-volume, high-density culture of shrimp in offshore settings using methodologies that minimize any negative impacts to the surrounding ecosystem, and in most respects represents a positive influence. By using small sized cages such as the A212 (212 m3) moored on single-point moorings (SPM) the spatial density of the operation is kept low. One A212 moored in 30 m of water has a 50 m watch circle. By spacing the mooring such that the watch circles do not overlap, each A212 is associated with 10,000 m2 or 1 hectare of seabed. Employing a stocking density of 400 post-larvae per m3, we introduce a density of 8.5 organisms per m2, well within the range of a healthy natural population. The employment of The Shrimp Solution on over exploited fishing grounds can bring a damaged ecosystem back into balance and, by occupying a space previously prone to reckless exploitation, provide a long-term habitat protection. The key to the Shrimp Solution is its small unit scale and compatibility with artisanal settings. The small Aquapods employed in the Shrimp Solution require no industrial equipment for assembly or deployment. OFT has developed beach-launch techniques where A212 systems are rolled into the water once assembled. We identify locally sources components whenever possible and do on-site fabrication using local labor to the extent possible.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 3 years // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // The Shrimp Solution is a combination of products and services offered by OFT. We market the Shrimp Solution in a variety of ways, but primarily through contacts in the fields of aquaculture and ecological sustainability. However, we see this model of seafood production not as simply an opportunity for sales of our innovative products, rather as a way to change the aquaculture paradigm from being exploitive to one that is in harmony with the ocean and sensitive to social needs. By working closely with clients we can tailor a solution that best meets local needs and takes maximum advantage of local assets. The key to the Shrimp Solution is its small unit scale and compatibility with artisanal settings. The small Aquapods employed in the Shrimp Solution require no industrial equipment for assembly or deployment. OFT has developed beach-launch techniques where A212 systems are rolled into the water once assembled. We identify locally sources components whenever possible and do on-site fabrication using local labor to the extent possible. Concessions for the siting of such activities are usually administered by the local or regional government. OFT assists the client in preparing applications and guides them in the process to ensure that an adequately sized concession is obtained to allow an economically sustainable development that remains within the assimilative capacity of the ecosystem. OFT also assists government agencies in formulating offshore aquaculture siting policies that can avoid the negative impacts too often associated with sheltered-water fish farming.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
Shrimp fishing has been an important component of many coastal communities. However, mechanization and ineffective management have demonstrated the perils of such practices, bringing economic hardship to many global locations. Similarly, land-based shrimp aquaculture in ponds has demonstrated severe negative environmental impacts. The result has been the destruction of mangrove and coastal estuary habitats that are typically targeted. In too many cases, shrimp production has resulted in only short-term viability and ultimate collapse. The Shrimp Solution abandons these failed paradigms and introduces a unique form of offshore aquaculture that benefits from ocean currents bringing nutrients and oxygen for the shrimp while flushing out wastes. As an emerging activity in crowded coastal waters, there is a potential for user conflicts, however by involving those traditional users these risks are minimized. The Shrimp Solution is a combination of products and services offered by OFT. We market the Shrimp Solution in a variety of ways, but primarily through contacts in the fields of aquaculture and ecological sustainability. However, we see this model of seafood production not as simply an opportunity for sales of our innovative products, rather as a way to change the aquaculture paradigm from being exploitive to one that is in harmony with the ocean and sensitive to social needs. By working closely with clients we can tailor a solution that best meets local needs and takes maximum advantage of local assets. // The Shrimp Solution is a combination of products and services offered by OFT. We market the Shrimp Solution in a variety of ways, but primarily through contacts in the fields of aquaculture and ecological sustainability. However, we see this model of seafood production not as simply an opportunity for sales of our innovative products, rather as a way to change the aquaculture paradigm from being exploitive to one that is in harmony with the ocean and sensitive to social needs. By working closely with clients we can tailor a solution that best meets local needs and takes maximum advantage of local assets. The key to the Shrimp Solution is its small unit scale and compatibility with artisanal settings. The small Aquapods employed in the Shrimp Solution require no industrial equipment for assembly or deployment. OFT has developed beach-launch techniques where A212 systems are rolled into the water once assembled. We identify locally sources components whenever possible and do on-site fabrication using local labor to the extent possible. Concessions for the siting of such activities are usually administered by the local or regional government. OFT assists the client in preparing applications and guides them in the process to ensure that an adequately sized concession is obtained to allow an economically sustainable development that remains within the assimilative capacity of the ecosystem. OFT also assists government agencies in formulating offshore aquaculture siting policies that can avoid the negative impacts too often associated with sheltered-water fish farming.