The Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network (CIMTAN)-A Network for a New Era of Ecosystem Responsible Aquaculture

The Canadian Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture Network (CIMTAN) is a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council strategic network that was initiated in 2010. It was triggered by the fact that aquaculture, though the world fastest growing food production sector, is associated with environmental, economic, and societal issues. Integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) offers an innovative solution for the environmental sustainability, economic stability, and societal acceptability of aquaculture by taking an ecosystem-based management approach. IMTA is the farming, in proximity, of aquaculture species from different trophic levels, and with complementary ecosystem functions, so that one species' excess nutrients are recaptured by the other crops and synergistic interactions among species occur. CIMTAN is providing the interdisciplinary research and development and highly qualified personnel training in the following linked areas: (1) ecological design, ecosystem interactions, and biomitigative efficiency; (2) system innovation and engineering; (3) economic viability and societal acceptance; and (4) regulatory science. By mitigating organic and inorganic enrichment of fed aquaculture operations and producing additional extractive crops, IMTA should transform environmental and socioeconomic issues into benefits, trusted quality seafood, and novel seafood-based products. CIMTAN is going beyond addressing questions of a natural science and engineering nature and is addressing socioeconomic, policy, and regulatory governance components. RESUMEN La Red de Acuicultura Multi-Trofica Integrada en Canada (RAMTIC) es una red estrategica del Consejo de Investigacion en Ingenieria y Ciencias Naturales que dio inicio en el ano 2010. Se concibio a partir del hecho de que la acuicultura, a pesar de ser el sector de produccion de alimentos de mas rapido crecimiento, esta relacionada con temas de indole ambiental, economica y social. La acuicultura multi-trofica integrada (AMTI) ofrece una solucion innovadora al problema de la sustentabilidad ambiental, estabilidad economica y aceptabilidad social de la acuicultura, ya que se fundamenta en un enfoque manejo basado en el ecosistema. El AMTI es el cultivo de especies propias de la acuicultura que provienen de distintos niveles troficos, y es acompanado de funciones ecosistemicas complementarias de modo que el exceso de nutrientes de una especie es aprovechado por el lote de organismos del siguiente nivel trofico, propiciando asi interacciones cinegeticas entre especies. La RAMTIC proporciona la investigacion y desarrollo interdisciplinarios y personal altamente capacitado en: (1) diseno ecologico, interacciones a nivel ecosistema y eficiencia de bio-mitigacion; (2) innovacion de sistemas e ingenieria; (3) viabilidad economica y aceptacion social; y (4) ciencia regulatoria. La RAMTIC debiera ser capaz de transformar las preocupaciones ambientales y socioeconomicas en ganancias y en alimento marino novedoso y de calidad, si se limitara el enriquecimiento organico e inorganico que ocasionan las operaciones de alimentacion en acuicultura, y se produjeran lotes adicionales de organismos cultivados para su extraccion. La RAMTIC va mas alla de atender temas de naturaleza cientifica y de ingenieria; esta lidiando con los componentes socioeconomicos, politicos y de gobernanza.