Traditional Aquaculture & Polyculture

Traditional aquaculture practices have been around for thousands of years, and look quite different from today’s modern, industrial farming systems.  Traditional systems are generally extensive, rather than intensive–in other words, they require fewer inputs to produce food. These systems tend to be in connection with the environment, taking place in natural bodies of water and utilizing the food sources present in those waters.

Polyculture is the farming of multiple species in one system. Unlike a monoculture system, in which only one species is cultivated, farming a symbiotic mix of species in one system can be a more sustainable method of farming.  Traditional aquaculture systems inherently use this approach because a more natural and less intensive system requires a balance of species to ensure a complete food chain.

Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) is a modern form of polyculture that can be implemented in marine or saltwater settings in which different species of varying trophic levels are co-cultivated in a system. IMTA offers promise as a more sustainable method of aquaculture. In combining extractive species, such as bivalves and kelp, with higher-trophic fish, a more balanced ecosystem can be achieved, reducing reliance on feed and improving water quality.