Regulating the local environmental impact of intensive, marine fish farming: II. The monitoring programme of the MOM system (Modelling–Ongrowing fish farms–Monitoring)

• Published in: Aquaculture Vol. 194; no. 1; pp. 75 - 92
• Main Authors: Hansen, Pia Kupka, Ervik, Arne, Schaanning, Morten, Johannessen, Per, Aure, Jan, Jahnsen, Terje, Stigebrandt, Anders
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.03.2001; Elsevier Science; Elsevier Sequoia S.A
• Subjects: Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Aquaculture; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Environmental degradation: ecosystems survey and restoration; Environmental impact; Fish farming; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Marine; Monitoring; Norway; Organic material; Pisces; Pisciculture; Sediment; Sediments; Vertebrate aquaculture; Norway; Europe; ANE, Norway; Fish farming; Organic material; Sediment; Environmental impact; Monitoring; Marine animal; Community structure; Organic matter; Fauna; Intensive rearing; Zoobenthos; Sediments; Sedimentation; Marine environment; Vertebrata; Animal community; Macrofauna; Environment impact; Pisces; Invertebrata; Environmental monitoring; Animal waste; Aquaculture
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/S0044-8486(00)00520-2

A programme for monitoring the impact of organic waste from marine fish farms is presented. It consists of three types of investigation of increasing complexity and accuracy (A, B and C), which are applied more frequently with increasing environmental impact. The A-investigation is a simple measurement of sedimentation rate beneath the net cages; the B-investigation is a sediment investigation providing a trend monitoring of the sediment condition, and the C-investigation is a comprehensive investigation of the benthic macrofaunal community structure. The A- and B-investigations were designed specifically for fish farming and the latter utilises several parameters in order to make the investigation more robust. The C-investigation employs well-established methods and procedures, which have been used previously in monitoring programmes. Environmental quality standards (EQS) have been set for the B- and C-investigation. The monitoring programme is part of a larger management system in Norway called Modelling–Ongrowing fish farms–Monitoring (MOM).