Sustainable bivalve farming can deliver food security in the tropics

Willer, David F.; Aldridge, David C.

doi:10.1038/s43016-020-0116-8

Cited by 47 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Bivalve molluscs represent a nutritious and low-impact (i.e. having a low environmental footprint) protein source for local communities throughout tropical countries (Willer & Aldridge 2020). The Galatea clams are harvested intensively in many West African regions, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global freshwater bivalve checklist’s extension: Freshwater occurrences and phylogenetic position of Galatea clams from West Africa (Venerida: Donacidae)

et al. 2020

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The bivalve genus Galatea Bruguière, 1797 (Venerida: Donacidae) was thought to contain exclusively brackish-water clams, the ranges of which are confined to estuaries and lower tidal parts of large rivers in West Africa. This genus was therefore included to the global freshwater bivalve checklists (Bogan 2013; Graf 2013) as a largely estuarine group. Conversely, a review of published data alongside our field surveys indicate that at least three populations of Galatea spp. largely occur in freshwater environment, i.e. those from the Sanaga (Cameroon), Niger (Nigeria), and Volta (Ghana) rivers. The systematic placement of these populations is unclear, as are the taxonomic status and validity of numerous nominal taxa described in this genus from a variety of localities throughout the Atlantic Coast of Africa (Angola to Senegal). We tentatively assign the populations from Niger and Volta to Galatea paradoxa (Born, 1778), while the Sanaga’s population is considered here as Galatea schwabi (Clench, 1929). However, these taxa do not share clear morphological differences and may belong to a single widespread species. In this study, we present the first DNA sequence data for a Galatea member, i.e. G. schwabi. Our COI phylogeny supports its placement within the family Donacidae suggesting sister relationships between Galatea and Donax Linnaeus, 1758. Most Galatea populations play a vital role for local riparian communities in West Africa as an intensively exploited food source. Furthermore, the clams are heavily threaten by anthropogenic impacts such as dam construction, riverbed substrate mining, and river pollution. The fishing loads and habitat degradation altogether lead to the rapid decreasing of Galatea populations in several water bodies, e.g. the Volta River in Ghana. It is impossible to develop conservation and management plans for these clams due to the lack of reliable species-level taxonomic concept of the genus. It is clear that the Galatea taxonomy and ecology need a thorough revision in the future based on DNA sequences of newly collected samples from all West African rivers, in which these remarkable clams occur.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global freshwater bivalve checklist’s extension: Freshwater occurrences and phylogenetic position of Galatea clams from West Africa (Venerida: Donacidae)

et al. 2020

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“…In reality, aquaculture takes multiple forms. Its environmental impacts thus vary widely depending, among other things, on the location of facilities (inshore, offshore, on land; Belton et al ., 2020); and on whether the cultivated species is fed on plants, on wild‐caught fish (in which case aquaculture might increase rather than diminish fishing impacts), or indeed is unfed (Willer & Aldridge, 2020). Assessing these diverse alternatives will require quantification not just of local impacts of aquaculture operations but estimation and summation of the effects of sourcing feed.…”

Section: Sharing and Sparing In Other Sectorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Concentrating vs. spreading our footprint: how to meet humanity's needs at least cost to nature

Balmford

2021

Journal of Zoology

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“…Overzealous farming of other bivalves such as Magallana gigas has already been shown to displace important native species and modify marine ecosystems (Herbert et al, 2016). Food safety is also a major concern when farming filter feeding bivalves, and in polluted waters there is high potential for hazardous substances such as heavy metals, microplastics and toxic cyanobacteria to accumulate in bivalveswith oysters farmed in the South China Sea for example now containing ∼11 microplastic particles per individual (Elston and Ford, 2011;Eriksen et al, 2014;Hossen et al, 2014;Willer and Aldridge, 2020a). Ocean water quality is likely to further decline as the human population expands and shipworm farms should be designed to cope with these changes (Häder et al, 2020).…”

Section: Industry Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

From Pest to Profit—The Potential of Shipworms for Sustainable Aquaculture

Willer

Aldridge

2020

Front. Sustain. Food Syst.

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We face a food crisis. Suboptimal diet is the biggest cause of death worldwide, food production the biggest greenhouse gas emitting sector, and by 2050 an extra 2.5 billion people need affordable nutrition. Current farming systems will fail to tackle this crisis, and there is an urgent need to diversify global food production and find effective solutions in currently underexploited food sectors. Shipworms, or shell-less Teredo clams, could prove a highly valuable component of such solutions. Historically viewed as a marine pest, they have unique physiological characteristics which make them an ideal food source, including exceptionally fast growth rates, the ability to feed on waste wood or sustainable microalgae, and a high protein and omega 3 content. Today only a select few traditional cultures in the Philippines consume shipworms, but there is considerable opportunity to develop mechanisms to farm shipworms and provide a sustainable, nutrient rich, affordable food source. This will require significant challenges to be overcome, ranging from fundamental research to industry development to food processing and marketing. Leveraging new innovations in breeding, aquaculture feeds, growth systems, food processing methodologies and consumer engagement can however offer powerful solutions, and could help turn what was once a maritime villain into a nutritional savior.

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Sustainable bivalve farming can deliver food security in the tropics

Cited by 47 publications

References 27 publications

The global freshwater bivalve checklist’s extension: Freshwater occurrences and phylogenetic position of Galatea clams from West Africa (Venerida: Donacidae)

The global freshwater bivalve checklist’s extension: Freshwater occurrences and phylogenetic position of Galatea clams from West Africa (Venerida: Donacidae)

Concentrating vs. spreading our footprint: how to meet humanity's needs at least cost to nature

From Pest to Profit—The Potential of Shipworms for Sustainable Aquaculture

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