Indicator: CO-23 Aquaculture: volume of discharged sediments and nutrients
Data
National data not yet available. The national aquaculture council has developed an action plan consistent with a Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) framework. Eventually some data may be reported under this strategy.
What the data mean
No data available.
Data Limitations
No data available.
Issues for which this is an indicator and why
Coasts and Oceans — Direct pressure of human activities on coasts and oceans - Pressure of fishing
Aquaculture involves more intensive production of fish than would occur in a natural ecosystem. Large numbers of fish in a relatively small volume of water will produce more nutrients in the form of body waste and dead fish and are also likely to stir up more sediments than a natural fish population. Additional nutrients provided as feed may add to the nutrient excess. If this excess nutrient and sediment is discharged into natural water bodies, it may have impacts on resident species and communities, resulting in poisoning or suffocation of some species or explosions of others (eg algal blooms). Volumes of nutrients released will some measure of the extent of this pressure.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-16 Status of Australian fisheries
- CO-17 Change in species and trophic structure of fish species caught
- CO-19 Estimated tonnage taken by illegal fishing; estimated number of illegal boats, estimated number of individuals of threatened species taken
- CO-20 Non-target effects: Area of seabeds trawled
- CO-21 Non-target effects: Number and/or weight taken as bycatch, and change since introduction of exclusion devices
- CO-22 Aquaculture: extent of habitat disturbed or removed
- CO-24 Aquaculture: origin species and tonnage of stockfeed used
- CO-25 Aquaculture: instances of disease and exotic species introduction from movement of live material
- CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris
- CO-53 Evidence or examples of noise or visual disturbance of marine species by human activities
- CO-62 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by recreational fishers
- CO-63 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by indigenous fishers
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- AAT-19 Annual catch in tonnes of marine species harvested in Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters - legal and illegal
- AAT-20 Fishing by-catch numbers and/or weight taken as bycatch
- LD-40 Current research into pressures and contributions of naturalised introduced species
- BD-09 The change in extent of selected nationally significant invasive species
Biodiversity — Pressures on biodiversity - Pressures on marine biodiversity: pressures of fishing
Discharges of pollutants from aquaculture activities place potential pressure on marine biodiversity. Volumes of nutrients released will some measure of the extent of this pressure.
Other indicators for this issue:
- CO-16 Status of Australian fisheries
- CO-17 Change in species and trophic structure of fish species caught
- CO-19 Estimated tonnage taken by illegal fishing; estimated number of illegal boats, estimated number of individuals of threatened species taken
- CO-20 Non-target effects: Area of seabeds trawled
- CO-21 Non-target effects: Number and/or weight taken as bycatch, and change since introduction of exclusion devices
- CO-22 Aquaculture: extent of habitat disturbed or removed
- CO-24 Aquaculture: origin species and tonnage of stockfeed used
- CO-25 Aquaculture: instances of disease and exotic species introduction from movement of live material
- CO-62 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by recreational fishers
- CO-63 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by indigenous fishers
- CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species
- AAT-20 Fishing by-catch numbers and/or weight taken as bycatch
- AAT-19 Annual catch in tonnes of marine species harvested in Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters - legal and illegal
Human Settlements — Pressures created by human settlements on the environment - Waste
Waste from aquaculture facilities is one contributor of waste from human settlements.
Other indicators for this issue:
- HS-53 Total solid waste produced and disposed
- HS-65 Amounts of hazardous waste
- HS-66 Gaseous emissions from waste
- LD-21 Area of land used for landfill
- LD-22 Rate of violations of residue levels in harvested products
- LD-37 Emissions from activities that derive contributions from the land
- IW-12 Catchment nitrogen and phosphorus load
- IW-14 Volume of sewage discharge to surface waters by treatment category (primary, secondary, tertiary)
- IW-15 Volume of sewage discharged to land
- CO-27 Number, frequency, extent and volume of oil spills from all sources
- CO-28 Quantity of discharges of different substances from humans activities to coastal and marine waters
- CO-51 Quantity of sewerage and ballast water dumped by shipping
Further Information
Source: ABARE 2003, Australian Aquaculture: Profiles for Selected Species, ABARE, Canberra.
Key
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