The economic and social benefits arising from aquaculture in marine waters must be balanced against the need to limit long-term damage to the ecosystem. Sustainable development implies that negative impact on the ecosystem, the wild capture fishery and the farmed fish will be insignificant and within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.

The aquaculture industry generally acknowledges the importance of production remaining within the assimilative or environmental carrying capacity of the environment; however, the definition of carrying capacity can be difficult and often leads to conflict between the industry, regulators and non-government organisations. Consensus is often difficult because of, among other reasons, a lack of accurate information, fixed points of view and inaccurate assumptions.

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