Rope mussel aquaculture has reached its maximum potential of the west coast of Ireland but as a consequence does the reduction in phytoplankton species have an impact on wild fish (particularly salmonids) species down the food chain?
Of course it does, since it will increase the competition between the mussel fish and natural fish fauna. I believe mussel aquaculture must consider the potential competition that might a raise.
Yes. Mussles are filter feeder, so they can compete with other filter feeder animals especially those fed on phytoplankton.
Yes it does. It reduces particulate matter in the water. Hence fish and shrimp larvae that feed on phytoplankton are affected.
Overexploitation and excess population of one species create the instability of the aquatic system which leads the impact on the wild fishes.
Another thing to consider is that mussel aquaculture provides a significant amount of structure to the water column which tends to increase fish biomass. The fouling and juvenile mussels can also feed certain species of fish. When I was working on a farm in New Zealand, the best fishing was always around the farm.
Yes it has impacts on wild fish population: But need not be harmful. Mussel farming acts as a FAD. Mussel farming areas tend to accumulate a lot of organic matter and the settled matter encourages benthic production. Suspended mussel culture ropes attract many fish juveniles and larvae. I have noticed aggregation of many types of fish around the mussel farm and are exploited regularly using local gears.
The question asked by Trevor Stafford poses the need to conduct a systematic study on this.
A leading question - It has not been demonstrated that saturation point has been reached for mussel culture on the west coast of Ireland. Localised (within sites) impact on production has been proposed (due to overstocking of lines?), but certainly not on a system-wide basis. In relation impact on fishes and fisheries, I would suggest that you review McKindsey et al. 2011 (Can. J. Zool. 89: 622–646) - for an general overview of rope mussel culture impacts (including fishes) and Clynick et al. 2008 (Aquaculture 283:203–210) for specific studies on fisheries production around mussel lines at two sites in Canada.
The mussel industry on the west coast of ireland continues to grow year on year which would suggest that saturation has not been reached, BIM have proposed that shellfish aquaculture is one of the key areas for future development because of its low impact and economic potential in Ireland. Mussel aquaculture is unlikely to have anything other than a tiny localised zone of impact considering the small footprint of these farms on the overall available coastal zone. Ropes of mussels also recycle nutrients for further phytoplankton production and provide shelter to many fish communities, providing surfaces for rich epiphyta and epifauna as sources of food. These bottom up impact on the food chain are extremely complex issues, in this case it is likely to be very localised with minimal impact on wild migratory fisheries.
http://www.bim.ie/about-the-seafood-industry/
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