Guam needs sustainable aquaculture

Like farming chickens or pigs for your family to eat or to sell at the market, aquaculture is the practice of farming fish or shellfish for human consumption. And just like any animal farming operation, aquaculture involves the management of animal waste -- in this case, fish poop.Something that makes aquaculture unique is that all the animals and their waste are contained and suspended in water. Figuring out the best way to process this wastewater for the health of the animals and the surrounding environment is one of the greatest challenges with aquaculture.

Local resident Joan Cofac of Talofofo says she is concerned about the environmental impact of aquaculture in Guam. She questions whether we can trust that fish farms are operating responsibly.For the past 10 years, she says she's witnessed a decline in the water quality of Talofofo Bay, which she believes is due to the runoff coming from a fish farm up river."It used to be nice and clear, now it's cloudy. We can't swim in the bay anymore because we're told it's polluted," she says.

She is also concerned about the regulation of imported eggs for aquaculture. "Without testing these eggs, how do we know they are tilapia, and not an invasive frog species?"Without updated information on these issues, she feels that the public is left in the dark. If the industry was better regulated and citizens were better informed, then people could hold irresponsible fish farmers accountable for their actions. Until that happens, she says she "would like to see the industry closed."