Aquapod Group Project

 

 

 

 

Global demand for shrimp is currently met with wild caught and farmed species, both of which are frequently environmentally and economically unsustainable. Offshore aquaculture is an emerging alternative that shows promise for reducing or eliminating many concerns embedded in existing capture fishery and land-based aquaculture practices. Aquapods are a new offshore aquaculture cage system that could provide a path to sustainable shrimp production, but little is known regarding the optimal placement strategy or economic viability of this new technology. This project uses an innovative spatial bio-economic analysis to provide a strategic framework for implementing offshore shrimp aquaculture with greater certainty of success. To better inform the planning, management and research priorities of Aquapod operations in Northwest Mexico, this project couples marine spatial planning with bio-economic modeling and sensitivity analyses to identify suitable sites for Aquapod implementation and evaluate the economic viability of Aquapod operations. Our model indicates that only a small proportion of our study areas are suitable for Aquapod implementation and that none of the potential locations are expected to be profitable. We found that profitability is driven by both spatial variability and operational decisions, and by locating Aquapods close to shore and reducing feed and labor costs, managers can help ensure the economic viability of Aquapod operations.