Integrated coastal food production systems — a review of current literature

With dramatic population increases in coastal areas, food requirements have risen dramatically, and traditional, extensive production systems cannot satisfy present and future requirements without using vast amounts of space. Modern intensive, monoculture aquaculture systems are also not ideal because they require high levels of inputs and produce undesireable wastes. They are devoted to a few expensive (usually export) species and do not supply food for coastal communities; such systems are not sustainable. rticle reviews the literature on polyculture and integrated polyculture systems relevant to coastal aquaculture. In open-water fish cage culture, molluscs and seaweed can be used to take up excess feed and waste from the fish, while molluscs are a potential food source for the cultured fish. In China, molluscs and seaweed are raised together on lines, since they mutually enhance each othersʹ growing environments. In pond culture, shrimp and/or fish are grown in combination with molluscs, seaweed and crabs in order to stabilize the growing environment, decrease food requirements, clean up pond effluent and, in some cases, increase production and profit. f the reviewed information is based on fish or shrimp farming which uses other organisms to decrease the environmental impact or to stabilize production. Although it revolves around the production of high-valued species, the interactions and basic ecological principles can be used to develop food production systems for coastal communities which have less negative impact on the environment yet which produce sufficient food for todayʹs requirements in an efficient manner.