Introduction and use of non-native species for aquaculture in China: status, risks and management solutions

Aquaculture is one of the fast-growing industries in the past decades. The fast expansion of aquaculture largely relies on the introduction and use of non-native species. This forms a paradox: some species significantly contribute to the fast expansion of aquaculture, while negative effects associated with unregulated introduction and irresponsible use of non-native species are increasing in number and area affected. However, lessons from reported disasters are slowly learned, and risks raised have been highly overlooked. Here, we discuss the known and potential risks derived from the introduction and use of non-native species in China to urge the necessity of incorporating sound management into sustainable aquaculture. Sound management needs to be performed based on the characteristics of each aquaculture activity or related event. We discuss risks based on aquaculture activities or related events popularly employed in the past decades in China, including (i) transfers of non-native species; (ii) fellow travellers, accidental introductions; (iii) artificial hybridization; and (iv) mass release of non-native species for ranching. For each aquaculture activity or related event, we provide general background, status of this activity, risks raised and recommendations for management. Finally, we call for the collaboration of researchers from academia, government and aquaculture industry for proper risk assessment and sound management for sustainable development of aquaculture.