Status and recommendations for sustainable freshwater aquaculture in Brazil

Abstract

Brazil is a megadiverse country and is participant of fundamental environmental agreements for biodiversity conservation. However, the internal politics and the cultures that affect negatively the ecological integrity in Brazilian freshwater need to be improved on the condition of sustainable management. Scientific community, the government and stakeholders are in constant conflicts of goals. Meanwhile, the current model for Brazilian aquaculture shows problems of ecological impact due to the lack of appropriated planning and legislation to the aquatic biota. The non‐recognition of sustainable census incorporated in its environmental politics reflects in an archaic and unsustainable management, with the following characters: a non‐specific approach for technical management, the indiscriminate use of interspecific hybrids and non‐native species and the lack of skilled labour. The potential impact on native species and the introduction of pathogens are the main negative effects on aquatic biota. This way, the aim of this article is to elucidate the conflicts of interests and ecological effects of fish aquaculture in Brazil, besides providing good practices and sustainable alternatives for management.

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