Fish creation emits 10 times fewer greenhouse gases and requires less land than livestock
A study published in attested that aquaculture presents itself as a sustainable alternative to livestock, as it emits 10 times fewer greenhouse gases and requires significantly less land. 5 Amazonian countries were analyzed, and in particular the state of Rondônia, which leads the production of native fish species.
The analysis that livestock is responsible for about 80% of deforestation in the region in the last 3 decades. The survey was conducted by experts from Brazil and the United States with the support of (São Paulo State Research Support Foundation).
The authors suggest that aquaculture can be a productive alternative using degraded pastures and reducing deforestation. However, they warn of the need for continuous monitoring and the understanding of environmental licensing processes.
One of the proposed solutions is the conversion of degraded pastures into aquaculture tanks, avoiding deforestation and increasing productivity.
“Aquaculture cannot repeat what livestock did in states such as Rondônia, where many areas for pasture have opened and today many are poorly productive or even abandoned. However, it has the advantage of being able to use these same areas already open with a much more sustainable activity ”said Carolina Doria, co -author of the study.
The research highlights the relevance of cultivating native species of the Amazon, such as tambaqui, pirapitinga, pacu and pirarucu, instead of exotic species, such as tilapia. The introduction of non -native species can lead to problems such as competition for resources and predation of local species.
Currently, Brazil is the 4th largest world producer of tilapia, representing 65% of national fish production.
Despite the pressure of producers for the release of species cultivation, because of the wide consumer market and ease of production, the authors of the study recommendation to replace the Tambaqui, who lives in the Amazon basin.
