Resumen de Desarrollo de Indicadores de Sostenibilidad para la Maricultura del Ecuador
Aquaculture in Ecuador has had an important development, mainly related to shrimp and tilapia culture.These species have been traditionally produced in ponds built on land. The cultivation of aquatic species on land has alarge social, economic, and environmental impact, since this activity occupies large extensions of land, usually onecologically sensible areas. An alternative to increase aquatic production without increasing the use of land andcausing a low environmental impact could be the production of fish and shrimp in offshore cages, adaptingtechnologies already used with success in other places. The present paper analyses the situation of mariculture (thecultivation of fish and other aquatic animals in open sea) in Ecuador, as well as the development of sustainabilityindicators that will serve for the sustainable development of this sector in the country.
