Reduce and/or eradicate aquaculture escapees in the wild

Overall effectiveness category No evidence found (no assessment)
Number of studies: 0
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How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

not assessed
Certainty

not assessed
Harms

not assessed

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

The expanding aquaculture industry has led to the accidental introduction of non-native and other problematic species into the wild marine environment, referred to as escapees (Arechavaia-Lopez et al. 2013; Bax et al. 2003; Manchester & Bullock, 2000). There, they can impact on native subtidal benthic invertebrate species through predation, competition for resources (food & space), or hybridization (through reproduction) (Bishop et al. 2010). Managing the spread of escapees, either by reducing their populations or trying to eradicate them when feasible (Herbert et al. 2016), can potentially reduce the threat level and associated risks on native subtidal benthic invertebrate species. Additionally, revising the existing spacing systems for farms, using innovative siting systems, and improving cage technologies and operational routines, could be effective means of reducing the likelihood of escapees (Arechavaia-Lopez et al. 2013)

_{Arechavaia-Lopez P., Sanchez-Jerez P., Bayle-Sempere J.T., Uglem I. & Mladineo I. (2013) Reared fish. Farmed escapees and wild fish stockes – a triangle of pathogen transmission of concern to Mediterranean aquaculture management. Aquaculture Environment Interactions, 3, 153–161.}

_{Bax N., Williamson A., Aguero M., Gonzalez E. & Geeves W. (2003) Marine invasive alien species: a threat to global biodiversity. Marine Policy, 27, 313–323.}

_{Bishop M.J., Krassoi F.R., McPherson R.G., Brown K.R., Summerhayes S.A., Wilkie E.M. & O’Connor W.A. (2010) Change in wild-oyster assemblages of Port Stephens, NSW, Australia, since commencement of non-native Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) aquaculture. Marine and Freshwater Research, 61, 714–723.}

_{Herbert R.J., Humphreys J., Davies C.J., Roberts C., Fletcher S. & Crowe T.P. (2016) Ecological impacts of non-native Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and management measures for protected areas in Europe. Biodiversity and Conservation, 25, 2835–2865.}

_{Manchester S.J. & Bullock J.M. (2000) The impacts of non‐native species on UK biodiversity and the effectiveness of control. Journal of Applied Ecology, 37, 845–864.}

Key messages

We found no studies that evaluated the effects of reducing and/or eradicating aquaculture escapees in the wild on subtidal benthic invertebrate populations.

‘We found no studies’ means that we have not yet found any studies that have directly evaluated this intervention during our systematic journal and report searches. Therefore, we have no evidence to indicate whether or not the intervention has any desirable or harmful effects.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Please cite as:

Lemasson, A.J., Pettit, L.R., Smith, R.K. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Subtidal Benthic Invertebrate Conservation. Pages 635-732 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Subtidal Benthic Invertebrate Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Category
Implement regular inspections to avoid accidental introduction of disease or non-native or problem species Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Prevent the attachment of biofouling organisms/species in aquaculture Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link
Reduce and/or eradicate aquaculture escapees in the wild Action Link	No evidence found (no assessment)	Synopsis Link