Multifunctional aquaculture in Brunei Darussalam: potential and policy options

Multifunctional aquaculture in Brunei Darussalam: potential and policy options

This chapter investigates the potential for multifunctional aquaculture in Brunei. It reviews overseas experience and compares the potential multifunctional benefits of aquaculture with those that have been identified in agriculture. It is argued that the benefits of aquaculture for the preservation of wild fish stocks is not clear cut, given the negative externalities often associated with conventional aquaculture. The potential for multifunctional aquaculture in Brunei can be considered in two ways: the promotion of marketed multifunctional benefits that could be achieved by developing relatively small scale projects such as resorts that allow anglers to catch their own sea-bass. These marketed functions add to the value of the farmed fish following the European model. Positive externalities also exist in the form of rural settlement and retention of economic activities in rural areas, irrespective of the scale of operation. Other external benefits of small scale operations may include food security and the mitigation of poverty in rural areas. However, the driving force behind aquaculture development in Brunei is more associated with large-scale operations designed to access export markets. In this case, the major concern is the limitation of negative externalities and the adoption of ecologically friendly technology such as that used in the Ecological Recirculation Aquaculture System (ERAS) which operates in a closed environment. This is particularly important in Brunei given its commitment to the Heart of Borneo initiative and its sustainable biodiversity and conservation objectives. The challenge for Brunei will be to continue to balance the growth of commercially viable aquaculture and the drive for economic diversification with these conservation objectives.

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