Safety and sustainable development of European aquaculture: new tools for an environmentally sound aquaculture

Sustainable and long-term growth of the aquaculture industry should involve both ecologically sound practices and appropriate resource management. The increasing economic dimension of Mediterranean aquaculture is opening new economic niches and may be a valid support to reduce the pressure of traditional fisheries. Aquaculture practices can also lead to modifications of coastal habitats through the impact of wastes of land-based and open-sea mariculture facilities. In addition to these aspects which place a direct pressure on aquatic ecosystems and wild fishery resources, a wide range of environmental contaminants, such as chemicals used in farming operations, can accumulate in farmed organisms and put fish health and quality at risk. Thus, as aquaculture makes its transition to a major food-producing sector, proper assessment and control of environmental impacts and food safety awareness are becoming increasingly important. The development of simple tools able to monitor the extent of environmental and biological impacts associated with farming operations at various levels of biological complexity from the ecosystem to the organism level is required. Although a number of techniques for assessing the environmental and biological impact of pollutants in natural ecosystems are available, the development of practical and validated tools is sorely needed in aquaculture.