Abstract:

Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) is both conceptually a simple idea and also highly appealing to regulators: the waste products from one food production process (in this case, fin-fish production) is acquired and assimilated by other organisms and converted into valuable products. This process both eliminates waste and increases the productivity of the food production system (Troell et al. 2003, Neori et al. 2004, Chopin et al. 2006). The paradox is that IMTA is not a new concept. Asian countries, which provide more than two thirds of the world’s aquaculture production, have been practicing IMTA (often described as a type of “polyculture”) for centuries, through trial and error and experimentation (Chopin, 2010).