Issues

Developing the strategy

The strategy for sustainable management of freshwater aquaculture in the Selangor river basin would need to include a number of key related issues. One of the issues is the need for an evaluation of the status of freshwater aquaculture activities in the basin to establish their effects on the river environment. Such an evaluation is critical, as many aquaculture farms in the Selangor river basin are believed to employ basic production technologies lacking in sustainable husbandry, water reuse strategies and wastewater treatment infrastructure. Based on the evaluation, the environmental impacts of freshwater aquaculture and improvements in freshwater aquaculture practices and operations to reduce the impacts could be determined.

Other key issues to be addressed in the strategy include the following:

• competition for land resources with other industry and urban development;
• lack of incentives for aquaculture farms to participate in certification schemes;
• deteriorating water quality of water sources (in rivers and surface run-off) for use in aquaculture farms operations;
• the absence of legislation that specifically governs aquaculture.