Biological and Economic Tradeoffs of Marine Protected Areas, Larval Aquaculture Systems, and Aquaculture Systems in the Bahamas

Abstract

The continued growth of the human population is causing an ever-increasing need for food. As one of the primary sources of food, ocean fisheries are being exploited at rates that are unsustainable. Since overfishing has become such an issue, there is a need for sustainable solutions to keep critical fish populations thriving, while still being able to provide for market demand. Three possible resolutions include aquaculture, larval aquaculture, and marine protected areas (MPAs). The biological and economic tradeoffs of each possibility were considered in the Bahamas, a set of islands in the Caribbean, which are experiencing a significant amount of fishery exploitation. It was concluded that although each option should be considered on a case-by-case basis, the implementation of MPAs would be the overall best solution for the Bahamas because several have already been implemented among the islands, and it would be a better tool than aquaculture to decrease overfishing and preserve marine habitats.