Environmental Management of Marine Cage Fish Farms using Numerical Modelling

To study the effects of aquaculture activity of marine cage fish farms on marine environment, field researches including hydrography, sediment, benthos and trap experiment at the marine cage fish farms(Site A) around estuaries of Tongyeong city were carried out during June $26\~27$, 2003. A simulation using numerical model-DEPOMOD was conducted to predict the solid deposition from fish cage and to assess the probable solid deposition, and the efficiency of environmental management of marine cage fish farms was studied. The marine cage fish farms cultured mainly common sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus), red seabream (Pagrus major), striped breakperch (Oplegnathus fasciatus) and black rockfish(Sebastes schlegeli), and total amount of cultured fish of the Site A were 23.1MT. The amount of husbandry fish by unit area(and volume) of the fish cage was $43.0kg\;m^{-2}(6.1kg\;m^{-3})$. The daily mean amounts of food fed by unit biomass and cage area were $30.8g\;kg^{-1}day^{-1},\;1.32kg\;m^{-2}day^{-1},$ respectively, at the Site A. The concentration of ORP of the sediment below the center at the Site A was -334.6 mV and the concentrations of AVS, COD, Carbon and Nitrogen were $0.43mg\;g^{-1}dry,\;17.75mg\;g^{-1}dry,\;10.19mg\;g^{-1}dry\;and\;3.49mg\;g^{-1}dry$, respectively. Capitella capitata was dominant benthic species which occupied $57.8\%$ of total species, and the Infaunal Trophical Index(ITI) was marked below 20 within 20 m distance from the edge of the Site A. The result of trap experiment, the solid deposition from the Site A was $34,485g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at 0 m from the center of the cage and $18,915g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ at 42 m. From a model simulation, it was estimated that using a model simulation, the proportion of unfed food was $40\%$ at the Site A and the annual total amount of solid deposition was 63,401 accounting for $24.4\%$ of the annual total food fed at the Site A. The area solid deposition settled was estimated to be $8,450m^2$, which was about 16 times of the total area of fish cage at the Site A. And concerning ITI and abundance of benthos, the model predicted that sustainable solid flux at the Site A was below $10,000gm^{-2}yr^{-1}$. The percentage of food wasted was main element of solid deposition at the marine cage fish farms, and for minimizing solid deposition it is necessary to increase the efficiency of the food uptake. Based on the result of the model simulation, if the percentage of food wasted decreases to $10\%$ from the current $40\%$, then the solid deposition could decrease to a half. In addition, it was predicted that if farmers use EP pellets as food fed instead of MP and fish trash, solid deposition could decrease by $57\%$. Also this study proposes that the cage facility ratio of the licensed area be decreased to less than $5\%$ to minimize the sediment pollution.

수치모델을 이용한 해상어류가두리양식장의 환경관리 방안

해상어류가두리양식장의 양식 활동이 해양환경에 미치는 영향을 파악하기 위해 통영주변의 해상어류가두리양식장(Site A)에서 해수유동, 퇴적물, 저서동물 및 트랩 등의 현장조사와 수치모델-DEPOMOD를 이용하여 가두리양식장의 고형물 침강량 예측과 적정 고형물 침강량 산정으로 해상가두리양식장의 환경관리 방안을 제시하였다. 조사대상인 Site A 해상어류가두리양식장의 입식 어종은 common sea bass(Lafeolabrax japonicus), red seabream(Pagrus major), striped breakperch(Oplegnathus fasciatus) 등 4종이고, 입식량은 227,800미 (23.1MT) 였다. 가두리양식장의 입식밀도는 $43.0kg\;m^{-2}(6.1kg\;m^{-3})$ 이고, 사료투여 량은 $30.8g\;kg^{-1}day^{-1}(1.32kg\;m^{-2}day^{-1})$ 이였다. Site A 가두리양식장 중심의 저층 퇴적물의 ORP, AVS, COD, 탄소 및 질소 농도는 각각 -334.6mV, $0.43mg\;g^{-1}dry,\;17.75mg\;g^{-l}dry,\;10.19mg\;g^{-1}dry$ 및 $3.49mg\;g^{-1}dry$ 였다. 저서동물은 Capitella capitata가 $57.8\%$로 우점하였고, Infaunal Trophical Index(ITI)는 가두리 가장자리에서 20m 거리 내까지 20 이하로 나타났다. 트랩조사 결과 Site A의 고형물 침강량은 0m에서 $34,485g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$, 42m지점에서 $18,915g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$침강하는 것으로 나타났다 모델 예측 결과 Site A의 사료 미섭이율은 $40\%$, 연간 고형물 침강량은 63,401 kg으로 연간 사료 급이량의 $24.4\%$이고, 고형물 침강 면적은 $8,450m^2$으로 가두리 시설 면적의 16배인 것으로 예측되었다. ITI와 저서동물의 풍도를 통한 Site A의 지속 가능한 고형물 침강량은 $10,000g\;m^{-2}yr^{-1}$ 이하 인 것으로 예측되었다. 가두리양식장에서 고형물 침강량의 주 요인은 높은 미섭이율이고, 고형물 침강량을 최소화 하기 위해서는 사료 섭이효율을 높여주어야 한다. 모델에 따르면 미섭이율을 $40\%$에서 $10\%$로 줄이면 고형물 침강량이 1/2 수준으로 감소되는 것으로 예측되었고, 습사료, 생사료의 사용 대신에 배합사료(EP)를 사용할 경우 $57\%$정도 침강량이 감소하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 가두리양식장의 허가면적에 대한 시설 면적비는 $5\%$미만이 적정한 것으로 판단된다.