Relationship of Freshwater Aquaculture Production to Renewable Freshwater Resources

Abstract

At the country-level, freshwater aquaculture production was correlated (P < 0.05) with area, renewable freshwater, and population increase—the strongest tendency was with population. Intensity of freshwater use for aquaculture in 172 countries was estimated by dividing freshwater aquaculture production (ton/yr) by total natural renewable freshwater (km³/yr). The freshwater aquaculture production:renewable freshwater ratio (AFR) varied from 0 to 15,000 ton/km³. Country-level AFRs were assigned to classes: no freshwater aquaculture, (n = 35); low, <100 ton/km³ (n = 80); medium, 100–1,000 ton/km³ (n = 45); and high, >1,000 ton/km³ (n = 12). Most renewable freshwater isin countries with no freshwater aquaculture or low AFR; countries with high AFR contain 11.1% of global renewable freshwater. By FAO region, AFR values were: Oceania,1.56 ton/km³; Latin America and Caribbean, 31.1 ton/km³; North America, 50.0 ton/km³; Europe, 68.7 ton/km³; Africa, 84.1 ton/km³; and Asia, 2,409 ton/km³. Renewable freshwater appears adequate for considerable expansion of aquaculture, especially outside Asia.

Keywords:

• Freshwater aquaculture production
• water use in aquaculture
• aquaculture and environment
• water resources