Agriculture Commons^™

The precautionary principle in environmental protection often comes into conflict with the principle of sustainable development. The history of the development of the Precautionary Principle and the Principle of Sustainability as articulated by the Brundtland Commission in 1987 is explored in the context of shellfish farming in public trust waters.

The development of a traditional form of Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) in the Dagupan City Estuary system in the Philippines is based upon different producers each focusing on individual species rather than individual producers producing multiple species with very different market values. The long-term success of such a system requires attention to local marine spatial planning and enforcement of caps on forms of feed-based (net pen or fish cage) aquaculture systems.

Many countries of Asia, including Indonesia, have experienced the problem of hypoxic fish kills among fish in netpens and fish corrals in various publicly-held water bodies. Fish farming in enclosures in public water bodies attractive because of low overhead costs in comparison to farming the identical species in constructed ponds. But aerobic bacterial degradation of feed and fish feces in common waters can lead to oxygen depletion, thus causing fish kills. Mass-balance and ecological carrying capacity models and education through and extension programming can be used to inform policy makers as to the maximum biomass of farmed fish allowable before …

May 8, 2014 marked the centennial of the landmark Smith-Lever Act in the United States that created the Cooperative Extension service at Land Grant Universities nationwide. Major contributors to the 1914 Act were Seaman A. Knapp and Kenyon L. Butterfield. A half century later the Sea Grant College Program was proposed by Athelstan F. Spilhaus expanding Extension programming to the sea. Together these two programs have been a major force in promoting the growth of the aquaculture industry in America.