Challenges and opportunities of IMTA in Hawaii and beyond

Available consumable seafood for 7.3 billion population in 2014 was 20 kg per capita (FAO, 2016). To maintain this level of seafood supply for expected 9.7 billion population in 2050, the total world seafood supply requires additional 48 million metric tonnes. With the stagnant yield from capture fisheries, the increase has to come from aquaculture. Although the annual growth of aquaculture production has slowed down, theoretically aquaculture production will reach the targeted production level. However, current intensive mono-aquaculture practices have faced the challenges of sustainability and must change its operation to meet the criteria of sustainable development defined and adopted by UN's 193 Member in 2015. UN members adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and call for an integrated approach that addresses all three dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social and environmental). Current aquaculture practices consume nature resources and compete with each other. Ecosystem based aquaculture management is essential to co-exist with other social activities and to efficiently utilize natural resources for food production and conservation of nature stocks. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), an old concept with new knowledge, appears to be the answer to sustainable development in aquaculture. IMTA practice combines the cultivation of fed aquaculture species, and extractive aquaculture species (both organic and inorganic ones) to reduce wastes and to create balanced eco-systems. Additionally, IMTA can play important roles in disease control and management, climate change mitigation, and others. As a result, IMTA has received more and more attentions at the turn of the century. However, the feasibility of IMTA comparing to mono-culture has yet to be documented. This presentation discusses the sustainability of IMTA by reviewing the practice of IMTA concept in traditional Hawaii aquaculture back to 1000 A.D. to current practices in the U.S. and beyond; updates US-Korea bilateral IMTA project; and challenges of IMTA.