NOAA technical memorandum NMFS-NWFSC ; 119

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)

"This technical memorandum is intended to provide managers with a better understanding of the genetic effects of marine aquaculture on natural populations, so that these factors can more effectively be incorporated into informed decisions pertaining to federal marine aquaculture policy and regulatory decisions. We do not attempt an exhaustive literature review of scientific information regarding this complex topic. Instead, in the main body of this report we attempt to synthesize relevant information in an accessible way, providing key references; interested readers can find more detailed treatments in Appendix A. Furthermore, the document does not provide a detailed treatment of ecological factors such as waste discharge/assimilation, competition, and disease, as those factors are considered elsewhere. We focus on commercial aquaculture of marine finfish, but also consider information for salmon hatcheries and marine stock enhancement"--Executive summary, paragraph 1.