Resumen de Coastal fish farms as fish aggregation devices (FADs)

Pablo Sánchez-Jerez, Damián Fernández Jover, Ingebrigt Uglem, Pablo Arechavala-Lopez, Tim Dempster, Just T. Bayle-Sempere, Carlos Valle Pérez, David Izquierdo Gómez, Pål A Bjørn, Rune Nilsen

• Coastal fish farms concentrate large numbers of fish species of both ecological and economic importance. In this respect, the aggregative effect of sea cages on wild fish populations is analogous to the effect of fish aggregation devices (FADs). High food availability, chiefly through loss of aquacultural feed, greatly increases feeding opportunities in the vicinity of farms. This increased food availability leads to increases in condition of farm-associated wild fish. Negative effects of aggregation at fish farms are also possible. These include the modification of fat levels and fatty acid distribution in the tissues of wild fish, which may have consequences for spawning success and subsequent larval survival, and the increase of specific species of parasites. From an ecological perspective, holistic management of coastal waters requires integration of the effects of aquaculture with those of other industries, such as fisheries.