Elements in Evaluating Success and Failure in Aquaculture Projects

Aquaculture development can be described as a structure of decisions, each of which requires some information. An aquaculture project in Colombia was designed to cultivate oysters, crabs and cockles to replace supplies from overfished wild stocks. Aquaculture development requires a variety of natural resource inputs, including water or space of appropriate quality, fertilizer or feed, sources of seed or fingerlings, and mechanisms to control disease and predators. In aquaculture systems which are drained seasonally, fertilizer may be plowed into the ground before the pond is flooded again. Once the availability of inputs for aquaculture is established, potential costs and benefits must be compared to alternative methods of obtaining the desired protein, income, and/or employment. Aquaculture-specific infrastructure is expected to be able to expand as aquaculture production expands. Aquaculture projects can, under appropriate circumstances, make a substantial contribution to the well-being of people in the developing world.